Fantasy Baseball Lineup Lowdown: American League Latest Trends

The goal with Lineup Lowdown is simple: we're looking for trends which could help identify players that might be undervalued or overvalued. Who is playing more/less? Who is moving up/down? We'll be doing a deep dive into one league each week as we navigate the lineup landscape.

To track all the latest changes around the league, visit our MLB batting order changes and MLB playing time changes pages.

Baltimore Orioles

– Coby Mayo has been in the lineup 10 times in 15 games since being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, with seven of those starts coming at first base and the other three coming at designated hitter. However, each of Mayo's last six starts have been against left-handed pitching, and he's been absent from the lineup each of the last five times the Orioles have faced a righty. It could be mostly just a byproduct of a lefty-heavy schedule, as Mayo did play versus a righty in each of the first four contests after being recalled. That said, the Orioles' handling of Mayo over the last two seasons doesn't inspire much confidence. Mayo also hasn't done himself any favors with his lackluster performance in the majors (though he has been a little better lately).

– Dylan Carlson has started 12 of the last 15 tilts in left field and been in the lineup for 19 of the last 21 contests. The switch hitter is slashing .308/.348/.538 with four home runs over the latter stretch. Colton Cowser missed three games following a collision with the outfield wall, but Carlson started seven of nine before that while Cowser was healthy and remained in the lineup Monday after Cowser returned. With Tyler O'Neill (shoulder) suffering a setback, Carlson could continue to get regular reps.

Boston Red Sox

– The Red Sox shocked the baseball world with a trade of Rafael Devers to the Giants on Sunday. In the first game of the post-Devers era, the Red Sox used Kristian Campbell at DH and David Hamilton at second base, with the former batting ninth for the fourth straight contest. Boston figures to rotate multiple players through the DH spot, especially after Wilyer Abreu (oblique) returns from the injured list later this week.

– Getting elevated to Devers' old No. 2 spot in the lineup Monday was Abraham Toro, who had been batting third versus right-handed pitching since Abreu went down. Up in the third spot in the lineup was rookie Roman Anthony, who launched his first big-league home run in the victory over the Mariners.

New York Yankees

– Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) returned from the 60-day IL on Monday to make season debut, starting at DH and batting fifth for the Yankees. With Stanton back in the fold, Paul Goldschmidt and Jasson Dominguez were both out of the lineup Monday. It was the second game in a row that Goldschmidt yielded to Ben Rice at first base, and while it still seems likely Goldy plays most days, it seems he will be among the players whose playing time outlook is dinged with Stanton back in action. Rice, Dominguez and Trent Grisham also seem likely to lose at-bats.

– Dominguez had started four straight prior to sitting out Monday, but prior to that he was in the lineup only four times across an eight-game stretch. The 22-year-old looked like he might be turning a corner with an .854 OPS in May, but he's regressed to a .472 OPS so far this month. Grisham has also fallen off in June (.543 OPS), but he's started all but two contests this month and has batted leadoff in each of his last four starts.

Tampa Bay Rays

– Jake Mangum missed five weeks of action with a groin strain but has returned with an everyday role intact, starting 15 of 16 contests since his activation. He's hitting .288/.333/.373 over that stretch, has stolen a couple bases, hit one homer and driven in 14 runs. Meanwhile, Kameron Misner is hitting an ugly .143/.189/.257 over that stretch and has been absent from the lineup on six occasions. Misner has provided excellent defense in center field, which might be the only thing at this point keeping him from being demoted in favor of Chandler Simpson.

– Since being acquired via trade, Matt Thaiss had drawn seven starts to Danny Jansen's 11 starts at catcher. Prior to the Thaiss trade, Jansen had received 13 of the previous 19 starts at catcher over Ben Rortvedt, so it's been a bit of playing time dip for the Rays' top backstop. Jansen had a rough April but is sporting a .761 OPS with five long balls since the beginning of May.

Toronto Blue Jays

– Alejandro Kirk had just a .532 OPS in his first 25 games of the season, but in 39 tilts since then he's slashed an impressive .369/.409/.496 with four long balls and 25 RBI. The extended hot streak has meant a move up in the batting order for Kirk, who has hit third in four of the last five games and who hasn't hit lower than fourth in a start since May 24. This is after he dropped to as low as seventh during the tail-end of his cold stretch to start the season. Kirk has already drawn three starts at DH this month as the Blue Jays look to keep his bat in the lineup.

– Jonatan Clase has essentially been an everyday player since Anthony Santander (shoulder) and Daulton Varsho (hamstring) went down, starting 11 of the last 14 contests (six in left field, five in center field). He hasn't batted higher than eighth and sports a lowly .415 OPS during that stretch, so Clase's playing time could dry up soon even though the returns of Santander and Varsho do not appear imminent.

Chicago White Sox

– The White Sox summoned Kyle Teel from Triple-A Charlotte on June 6 and have handed him eight starts in nine games since then (six at catcher, two at DH). The left-handed hitter has batted fifth or six in all eight starts, and all eight of those contests have come against right-handed pitching. Meanwhile, the switch-hitting Edgar Quero has started only five of nine since Teel's promotion (three at catcher, two at DH).

– Ryan Noda has started two straight at first base and has batted seventh since being recalled from Charlotte, which is where Tim Elko was optioned after getting some run at first base. With Elko and now Noda handling first base, nine of Miguel Vargas' last 10 starts have come at third base, with Josh Rojas handling second base most days. Lenyn Sosa (hip) is due back soon, which will throw another body into the mix, but Vargas is really the only player in this group that should be guaranteed everyday playing time. The 25-year-old has shown signs of a breakout with an .871 OPS and nine homers in 40 contests since May 1.

Cleveland Guardians

– The Guardians got Lane Thomas (foot) back from the IL last week and have started him in center field in four of six contests since then. Thomas has batted second once and leadoff once versus lefties and has hit sixth in both of his starts against righties since being activated. In both games he didn't start, Thomas eventually entered the contest off the bench. He's reached base eight times since returning and should settle back in as the everyday center fielder, in large part because he doesn't have much competition.

– With Thomas having wrestled back the bulk of the reps in center field, Angel Martinez has seen more action at second base lately, making four of his last five starts at the keystone. Three of those four starts at second base have been against left-handed pitching, as the switch hitter looks to now be stuck in the short side of a platoon at the position with the left-handed-hitting Daniel Schneemann. Schneemann has started each of the last 14 games versus righties, with 11 of those coming at second base.

Detroit Tigers

– Each of his last eight and 10 of Javier Baez's last 11 starts have come either at shortstop or third base, as he has mostly become an infielder again since Parker Meadows came off the IL. Meanwhile, Trey Sweeney has started only one of the last seven and four of the last 14 tilts. The Tigers have faced five lefties over the latter span, but he's also been out of the lineup five times over that stretch against righties.

– Wenceel Perez has had his name penciled into the Tigers' lineup 14 times across the last 18 games. Eight of those last 10 starts have come in right field, although he's made a start at each of the three outfield spots in the Tigers' last three contests. Perez has collected a .967 OPS with four home runs during those 18 games. His emergence has come mostly at the expense of Colt Keith, who has started only six of the last 12 contests.

Kansas City Royals

– Jonathan India has missed each of the last two contests with a left shoulder subluxation. The Royals faced a left-hander in both of those games and had Maikel Garcia up in the leadoff spot which is normally reserved for India, while Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez were bumped up one spot to the third and fourth slots, respectively. Perez has started at either first base or DH each of the last five times Kansas City has gone up against a southpaw, which has allowed Freddy Fermin to enter the lineup at catcher.

– Nick Loftin has been in the lineup for each of the last four contests, starting twice in left field against right-handers and twice at second base versus southpaws. India has been playing second base almost exclusively lately, so if he avoids the IL that won't be an option for Loftin. However, Drew Waters has struggled lately and started just one of the last four tilts, so there might be a path to regular at-bats in the outfield for Loftin.

Minnesota Twins

– Royce Lewis is injured again, landing back on the IL with another hamstring strain. In two games since that move was made, the Twins have used Brooks Lee and Jonah Bride once apiece at third base. Lee has been a regular while bouncing around from third base, second base and shortstop, but he could settle in at the hot corner while Lewis is shelved. The switch hitter has found his batting stroke in June, collecting a 1.026 OPS with three home runs in 13 games.

– The left-handed-hitting Trevor Larnach was in the lineup six of the first nine times the Twins faced a lefty this season. However, the club has gone up against a southpaw in three of their last four tilts, and Larnach didn't start any of those three contests. The 28-year-old has just a .470 OPS versus southpaws this season as compared to a .797 OPS against righties.

Houston Astros

– Jeremy Pena was moved into the leadoff spot for the Astros back on April 27 and has remained there aside from his one day off this season on May 18. In 45 starts from the top of the batting order, Pena is hitting .359/.402/.533 with six home runs and 10 stolen bases. Pena has just a four percent walk rate over that time, as he hasn't altered his aggressive approach despite the move to the leadoff spot.

– Victor Caratini has been something close to an everyday player since Yordan Alvarez (hand) went on the IL back in early May, starting 30 of 41 contests (73.2 percent). Fifteen of those starts have come at catcher, 13 have been at DH and on two occasions he's been at first base. The 31-year-old is slashing only .248/.306/.349 with two home runs over that span.

Los Angeles Angels

– Christian Moore has arrived, starting three of the last four games at second base while occupying the No. 9 spot in the lineup for each of those starts. How Moore fares in his first go-round in the big leagues will largely depend on whether he's able to make enough contact. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Moore has struck out at a 27 percent clip in the minors, a figure that typically goes up at the major-league level.

– Jo Adell has occupied center field in each of the last 16 contests for the Angels and has cracked seven home runs over that stretch. He's also swiped two bases during that time, an encouraging development after he had previously attempted just one stolen base. Adell hasn't batted higher than sixth all season and has done that just six times. It might be time to flip-flop him in the lineup with Jorge Soler, who is slashing just .185/.269/.277 since the start of May.

Sacramento Athletics

– Max Muncy was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on June 4 and has started all but one game at third base since then. He batted eighth in his first game back in the big leagues, but Muncy has hit fifth in eight of his last nine starts. The rookie infielder has popped four home runs, driven in 11 runs and stolen one base since being recalled, although that's also come with a 13:0 K:BB.

– The Athletics gave Lawrence Butler a break from the leadoff spot in early May, demoting him to the Nos. 5-7 slots as he battled through a slump. However, Butler has been back at the top of the batting order for every game since May 27 and boasts an .890 OPS with three home runs and three stolen bases over that span. Butler is on a 20-20 pace and also leads all of baseball with 23 doubles.

Seattle Mariners

– The Mariners abandoned the short-lived Leody Taveras experiment, booting him off their 40-man roster earlier this month. Dominic Canzone has since started each of the last five games against righties in right field, with Dylan Moore slotting in there the one time they faced a lefty over that stretch. Canzone could lose his job soon with Luke Raley (oblique) expected back shortly, although Rowdy Tellez is also a candidate to lose reps.

– Seattle has given Jorge Polanco a couple starts at second base over the past week, marking the first time since early May that he's played a position. It's possible it becomes a more regular thing on days the Mariners are looking for a more offense-oriented lineup, and if that happens Cole Young could head back to the minors. Polanco was signed to play third base but hasn't started a game there since April 4, as the club continues to be willing to deal with Ben Williamson's offensive shortcomings because they like his defense so much at the hot corner.

Texas Rangers

– The positions have changed, but Josh Smith has sat atop the Rangers' batting order each of the last 20 times they have faced a right-hander. The first 12 of those starts came at shortstop while Corey Seager was either injured of being used at DH, but since then Smith has slotted in at first base five times, the DH spot four times, third base twice and shortstop once. The superutility player boasts a 1.091 OPS with three home runs and a pair of stolen bases so far in June.

– Former leadoff man Marcus Semien has been used as the club's cleanup hitter for each of the last nine contests. We're just a few weeks removed from Semien being demoted all the way down to the No. 9 spot, but he has righted the ship in a major way, slashing .407/.468/.741 with four home runs, three stolen bases and a 6:7 K:BB across his last 15 tilts.