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Fantasy baseball: Hidden home runs in Miami, St. Louis and Washington

By Chris Timoney

Apr 25, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Jorge Soler (12) hits a single against the Atlanta Braves in eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 25, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Jorge Soler (12) hits a single against the Atlanta Braves in eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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MLB news, Cardinals, Paul DeJong, fantasy baseball
May 18, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong (11) hits a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports /

Paul DeJong, St Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals are feverishly trying to save their season and it’s not even Memorial Day yet. After a very subpar start to the season that included an eight-game skid, St. Louis has rallied in May with both a three- and a four-game winning streak and having won seven of their last 10 games. Now it’s not all ice cream and rainbows for the Cards as they sit at fourth place in the NL Central with a 21-28 record. Fortunately for St Louis, the top teams in the division like the Pirates and Brewers have cooled and injuries have brought the Cubs under the .500 mark, so the Cardinals are still in it, sitting just five games back of the NL Central lead. It’s fitting that a contributor to the turnaround of the Cards’ tumultuous 2023 season has a very up and down career of his own.

If you were to ask me to describe Paul DeJong’s MLB career with a line from a movie, my answer would be a no-brainer. From the 1987 teen rom-com “Can’t Buy Me Love” starring Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson, I would roll with the phrase, “He went from totally chic to totally geek.” Luckily for DeJong, Dempsey’s character in the film whom the line is directed towards ends up pretty chic in the end (spoiler alert). DeJong had a stud rookie season for St. Louis in 2017, batting .285 with 25 homers in 108 games. It’s been a steady decline since then. The veteran shortstop did hit 30 home runs in 2019, but his average was down to .233. Much like one-hit wonders on the music charts, the hits stopped there. Heading into this season, DeJong hadn’t hit above the infamous Mendoza line (.200) since the shortened 2020 season where he hit .250 in just 45 games and only three home runs.

DeJong started this season in the minor leagues, getting his swing back and working out some lower back issues. After two dud seasons and starting this season in the minors, the Cardinals veteran has been back to stud status since coming back to the big-league club on April 23. A month into his 2023 MLB campaign, DeJong has eight home runs, six this month and four in the past seven days. DeJong is batting a solid .289 with 18 RBI and is a huge reason St. Louis is clawing its way back to relevance and could be a chic pick to snag a Wild Card spot when it’s all said and done.

The Cardinals are in Ohio this week playing the Reds and Guardians then host the Royals back at Busch Stadium next week. The Reds and Royals are in the top 10 of most home runs allowed, so there’s a good chance DeJong’s redemption continues so go grab him off that waiver wire and go watch “Can’t Buy Me Love.” It’s a great 80s flick.

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