As we enter the all-star break, managers cannot stop the grind now. Second half surges end up being league winners that can propel teams sitting in the middle of the pack on a run that could potentially win your leagues. Today we have three bats that are owned in a quarter or less of Yahoo leagues (including one deeper league option at 2%) that can help propel your team to a second half surge.

Tyler Stephenson – C – CIN – 20% Yahoo, 48% CBS

Before Friday’s 0-for-4, Stephenson had hit four homers in three days, breaking a homerless streak that lasted since June 3. He really needed to exercise some demons and break a funk that saw his batting average drop to .231 a couple of games prior to his power surge.

This recent play has gotten his slashline up to .244/.315/.442 with 10 homers and  70 runs + RBI. On the year, he has solid quality of contact numbers with above average marks in avgEV, barrel rate, hard hit rate and around league average for his launch angle/sweet spot.

He also has chase and whiff rates that rank in the 83rd and 82nd percentiles to go with an xBA of .250. His strikeout rate is also really solid at 17.3%. So expecting Stephenson to end the year with a batting average in the .260-.270 range is not out of the question.

This recent string of play has given him top-12 catcher value on the year, per Fantrax. He is also playing his home games in the friendly confines of Great American Ballpark in the warm, summer days. There is no reason why he should not be rostered in all standard-sized leagues.

League size recommendation: 12-team leagues

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