This article is part of our Sorare MLB series.
Are you excited for the MLB playoffs? I certainly am, even if the Detroit Tigers don't pull off a surprising run into that final wild card spot. However, are you also excited to cultivate the best Sorare lineup possible? On that end, I have another batch of Upgrades, Holds, and Downgrades for you here in the middle of September. Maybe your MLB team is out of the running, but your Sorare team doesn't have to be!
Upgrades
Matt Olson, ATL ($21.18): If you can glean what I mean, Olson has been both disappointing and "disappointing." While it is fair to quibble with his overall numbers and to recognize them as a major drop-off from 2023, he's still hit 26 homers with a whopping 37 doubles, and there's a decent chance he gets to 100 RBI for the fourth season in a row. The lefty has a .939 OPS over the last three weeks, which has helped him bolstering his numbers. That includes two games with 20.0 Sorare points in the last week. It's fine if you expected more from Olson, but the key is not to expect too much.
Willy Adames, MIL ($9.39): Aaron Judge is pacing MLB in RBI with gusto, but behind him are a handful of guys who have already reached the 100-RBI mark. One of them is Adames, who has driven in 109 runs (and himself over 30 times as well). By the way, he's done that as a shortstop. Only Bobby Witt, having an all-time season, can claim to be as productive offensively at the position. Now, an RBI will only get you a slight uptick in Sorare points, but when he's hitting homers he can, say, give you a 45.0-point game, as Adames did against Arizona in the last week. Oddly, he's done all this while being terrible this season against lefties, unusual for a right-handed hitter. He had a .763 OPS versus southpaws in 2023, so there is, dare I say, still room for improvement.
Hunter Greene, CIN ($4.40): Greene was in the Cy Young race. Do you remember that? Did you ever clock that? While his strikeout rate has dropped to "only" 10.17 batters per nine innings, the righty has finally got his homer issues in check and responded with a 2.83 ERA. His last eight starts saw him deliver an 1.07 ERA (and a ton of Sorare points). The reason he may not be top of mind is the last of those starts came August 13. Greene's elbow starting bugging him (not in the scary way, but still not good), and so he missed a month and some change. Now, his elbow is feeling better, he's ready to return, and his short-term and long-term futures are bright.
Seranthony Dominguez, BAL ($2.29): Dominguez has been a longtime middle reliever for the Phillies. Craig Kimbrel is one of the best closers of all time. Now, Dominguez is the Oriolers' closer, and Kimbrel has been DFA'ed. Dominguez is the guy for a playoff team and has nine saves with Baltimore since being dealt. When he picks up a save, there's a good chance he'll grab you 20.0 Sorare points. Also, a bonus downgrade: it's probably not the time to get on board the Kimbrel train!
Holds
Elly De La Cruz, CIN ($40.87): I have De La Cruz as a hold because this season has been a major step forward and also I think he may have hit his ceiling. At the very least, he has to make some demonstrable changes to go from "exciting all-star" to "MVP candidate." He's stolen 64 bases, which is remarkable, but has been caught 16 times. The shortstop has improved his OBP from .300 to .341, showing a bit more discipline, but he's also struck out 203 times, the most in MLB. De La Cruz is a "switch-hitter" with a mere .661 OPS versus lefties, though that's an improvement on his .495 OPS as a rookie. The dude is so good, and so fun, but his approach means 20-point days and negative-point days on Sorare arrive in equal measure. If you think that it's a lock that you'll be getting more from De La Cruz in the future than you have this year, don't be so sure.
Ian Happ, CHC ($2.54): Happ is also a switch-hitter, but he has a .762 OPS versus lefties and an .810 OPS versus righties. He does a lot of things well. A corner outfielder with 25 homers and 13 stolen bases is sufficient, if not remarkable. You happily take the numerous days with double-digit Sorare points, including one with 32.0 points against Oakland just the other day. I wanted to note Happ because, in addition to the face he's largely replicated what he did last season, his best skill is not an exciting one. Happ walks a ton. He walked 99 times last year and has walked 75 times in 2024. That's top 10 in MLB. That won't drive Sorare players in droves, but it is a skill worth holding onto.
Downgrades
J.P. Crawford, SEA ($2.82): I could have called it already, but it feels like we can mark down 2023 as the anomaly in Crawford's career, not a turning point. A man with a career .708 OPS had an .818 OPS. He hit 19 home runs last season, and the nine he's hit this year are tied for his second-highest total. Crawford's recent run of play is a mixture of games with 8-to-10 Sorare points and games with negative numbers next to his name. He has a .523 OPS over the last three weeks, and the question now is can he finish above the Mendoza line, not if he can remain an above-average shortstop.
Trevor Williams, WAS ($2.51): Here's a pitcher making his return that, unlike Greene, I'm not enthused for. Williams had a 2.22 ERA in 11 starts before hitting the 60-day IL with an elbow issue. He was only held below 10.0 Sorare points once in that time. Even though he had a 2.81 ERA, I fully believe that start to be fluky. Williams has a 0.32 HR/9 rate this season, and his career rate is 1.32. Last season it was up to 2.12 as he posted a 5.98 FIP. I don't believe that, at 32, Williams learned how to leap into the 99th-percentile of homer prevention. Regression is coming.
Justin Turner, SEA ($0.68): I did not intend to pile on the Mariners, but their designated hitter is absolutely cooked as a hitter, and that feels worth mentioning. In fact, I checked to see if Turner, who as admittedly 39 years of age, had mentioned the intention to retire at the end of the season. He's hit better recently, though only well enough to have two games with double-digit Sorare points in September. I was looking at the exit velocity leaderboard recently, and in the bottom 20 (minimum 250 plate appearances), you find a bunch of centerfielders and middle infielders. You know, slap-hitting positions. Then, there's Turner, who is a designated hitter. Fewer than three percent of his plate appearances have resulted in a barrel.
