Jackson Chourio (MIL): 3-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI.

There was no save tonight as the Milwaukee Brewers cruised to a 16-7 win over Atlanta, with Jackson Chourio leading the way with two home runs. Chourio’s 13th and 14th home runs came at 101.1 and 101.8 mph, respectively, and he followed that up with a 99.3 mph groundout later in the game.

After spending the season in a coma and lying in his arms, the rookie outfielder may finally be getting it together. Since June 1, Chourio has seven home runs and eight steals in 194 PA with a triple slash of .328/.371/.506, while his strikeout rate has dropped to 16.5%.

In fact, we can easily see the adaptation using PL’s new Process+ rolling charts.

There’s no doubt that Chourio is making better contact and his power is definitely heading in the right direction, but it’s his decision value that will ultimately determine whether this is a young superstar delaying his breakthrough or if we’re just wishing he did. Specifically, his decision-making ability on throws outside the zone. A brisk 89 oDV and 32.4% chase rate are causing some concerned looks, but it’s not unusual for a 20-year-old rookie to get so overeager. Chourio isn’t even the only 20-year-old rookie named Jackson on a potential division-winning club who’s struggled to swing the long way around the plate.

Last night’s star player was marginally better with a 95 oDV and 27.6% chase rate, but given that these two talents are better than most, I don’t think there’s any reason not to capitalize on a positive trend. It won’t be long before facing Chourio will be like trying to close Pandora’s box.

Are you still having fun?

Let’s see how the other batsmen fared on Thursday:

Tyler Fitzgerald (SFG): 2-5, 2B, 2 R, BB, 3 SB.

Tyler Fitzgerald used his 99th percentile 30.1 ft/s sprint speed and grabbed three stolen bases. The hitter will come back down to earth at some point, though, as a .391 BABIP is unsustainable and a Contact+ of 85 suggests he’s actually playing above his means right now. The combination of power and speed is real, though, so if you’re anticipating a drop in the AVG/OBP column, he could still be a productive player for you down the stretch.

Luis Garcia Jr. (WSN): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB.

Luis Garcia Jr.The 93.4 mph home run was actually his lightest hit ball of the day, after hitting a 95.2 mph flyout and a 95.6 mph single earlier in the game.

Tonight “Combo menu” was only García’s fifth hit of the season, but it’s his second in the past week, and while his hitting power isn’t quite as elite as the other top 2Bs, he’ll deliver one of the most balanced performances at the position.

Joey Beard (PIT): 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.

Joey Beard hit his ninth home run of the year at 104.8 mph and also hit a 97.3 mph double and a 106.8 mph groundout later in the game.

Bart won’t give you much else out of power, but with the Pirates struggling behind the plate this season, he’ll continue to serve as the primary catcher in the closing stages and has been hitting as a cleanup spot lately. If you need help at catcher, Bart should be a cheap source of power for your team.

Mark Vientos (NYM): 1-5, HR, R, 2 RBI.

Few players hit the ball as hard as Mark Vientos this season. Vientos’ 17th home run was a 103.5 mph, 425 ft bomb, and he also recorded flyouts of 102.6 and 96.6 mph. Don’t think this is just Coors Field, either, because that kind of power fits perfectly with his 90.5 mph average exit velocity and 16.3% barrel rate this season.

That power, coupled with an improvement in his hitting discipline—his strikeout rate has dropped to 25.7% and his walk rate is 7.5%—should make him one of the top five third basemen in 2025.

Eugenio Suarez (ARI): 1-3, HR, R, RBI.

Eugenio Suarez also hit his 17th home run yesterday with one of the hardest hit balls of the night at 109.5 mph. This Power+ chart should say it all:

Since the All-Star break, Suárez has a Power+ rating of 119 and a Process+ rating of 121. If you can still get him, you should do it now.

Parker Meadows (DET): 2-4, 2B, R, RBI.

If you’re afraid of small sample sizes, beware! Since being recalled from Triple-A on August 3, Parker Meadows has done nothing but pitch four straight games with multiple hits. In that time, his Process+ has risen to a whopping 133, alongside an above-average Power+ of 126.

Look, sometimes you have to roll the dice if you want to catch that next big streak before it runs out. Why not roll the dice with a player whose tools are so loud?

Cedric Mullins (BAL): 1-4, 2B, R, RBI.

If you hold on to this idea, it seems as if Cedric Mullins is back. While Colton Cowser has taken over most of the CF role in Baltimore, Mullins still gets a significant amount of playing time and if you can tolerate him sitting on the bench against lefties, he can still fill the scoreboard.

The needle is pointing steeply upward right now, as Mullins has two home runs, three steals, and a .239/.364/.457 triple slash in the second half. This could be the start of a winning streak.

Dylan Carlson (TBR): 1-3, 2 RBI.

Dylan Carlson got off to a good start in Tampa Bay, and last night he followed it up with a 104.3 mph single that allowed two runners to score. He has now had a hit in four of five games since joining the Rays.

Believe me, I’m as stunned as you are that I’m talking about Dylan Carlson now, but just look at what a change of scenery did for the other post-hype sleeper Victor Robles.

Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)