We've reached the midpoint of the regular season in the major-league schedule and have already passed the halfway point of the regular season schedule in most head-to-head points formats. That makes it a good time to check in on some the most interesting hitters to project for the second half. We'll begin with a pair of rookies that have started slowly, but their recent form suggests they'll be difference makers down the stretch. We'll then shift gears to look at established fantasy contributors that are struggling relative to expectation and examine whether there is any hope that they'll turn things around in the second half.
Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's MLB Rest of Season Projections!
Last Chance to Jump on the Bandwagon
Nick Kurtz 
– 51% Yahoo, 84% CBS
As his roster rate suggests, Kurtz is already gone in deeper formats as he was an extremely popular waiver add a couple months ago. He started slowly and then was placed on the injured list, so fantasy managers may not have the best impression of him. However, since his return June 9, he's hit .273 with nine extra-base hits across 55 at-bats – good for 3.7 fantasy points per game (CBS scoring). That type of pace may not continue for the rest of the season, but the power Kurtz showcased in his short time as a prospect is already translating. It may already be too late to acquire the young slugger in certain
We've reached the midpoint of the regular season in the major-league schedule and have already passed the halfway point of the regular season schedule in most head-to-head points formats. That makes it a good time to check in on some the most interesting hitters to project for the second half. We'll begin with a pair of rookies that have started slowly, but their recent form suggests they'll be difference makers down the stretch. We'll then shift gears to look at established fantasy contributors that are struggling relative to expectation and examine whether there is any hope that they'll turn things around in the second half.
Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's MLB Rest of Season Projections!
Last Chance to Jump on the Bandwagon
Nick Kurtz – 51% Yahoo, 84% CBS
As his roster rate suggests, Kurtz is already gone in deeper formats as he was an extremely popular waiver add a couple months ago. He started slowly and then was placed on the injured list, so fantasy managers may not have the best impression of him. However, since his return June 9, he's hit .273 with nine extra-base hits across 55 at-bats – good for 3.7 fantasy points per game (CBS scoring). That type of pace may not continue for the rest of the season, but the power Kurtz showcased in his short time as a prospect is already translating. It may already be too late to acquire the young slugger in certain formats, but now is likely the last chance to have a realistic opportunity.
Cam Smith 
– 33% Yahoo, 72% CBS
Smith is on a similar trajectory to Kurtz, but his struggles were more extended and he's had lower peaks relative to Kurtz. He surprisingly made the big-league roster out of spring training and struggled out of the gate, striking out a 29.4 percent strikeout rate in April.
What makes Smith's case particularly interesting is that he has been a good big-league hitter since. He posted a 130 wRC+ and .353 wOBA in May and respective 108 and .321 marks in June. The big difference in June has been a jump in ISO from .093 to .145. Across the last 28 days, Smith is averaging 2.4 fantasy points per game. That isn't a must-roster number, but there are hints that a full breakout is on the way.
Should We Expect a Bounceback?
Corey Seager 
– 2.4 fantasy points per game
The analysis for Seager's fantasy profile has been pretty straightforward for his career. He hasn't been the most durable option, but he can be counted on as an excellent contributor for around 120 games. So far in 2025, we've had the injuries but not the production.
There appear to be two primary causes of his struggles, and they're likely related. The problem on the surface is an inflated 49.6 percent groundball rate, but the cause of the problem appears to be a lack of aggressiveness swinging at pitches inside the strike zone and making contact with those swings (career low 82.5 percent in-zone contact). We've seen a corresponding minor jump in strikeout rate, but the rest of his metrics suggest a huge second half could be on the way. His barrel rate (13.5 percent) and hard-hit rate (51.8 percent) are both mostly in line with his career norms, and the gap between his wOBA and wOBA is massive (.315 vs. .374). With a hitter as solid and proven as Seager, I'd be looking to buy low even after a frustrating first half.
Quick Conclusion: Seager appears to be a small tweak away from returning to expected form. Given his track record, I'd buy low despite the significant disappointment to this point.
Matt McLain 
– 2.3 fantasy points per game
Expectations were high for McLain after he missed all of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury. We've seen other players struggle in their return from similar injuries, so it's not a big surprise that McLain didn't immediately meet expectations.
The primary problem in 2025 looks to be a batted ball profile that doesn't match his skillet. As a prospect, McLain didn't have one standout tool, but his patience and ability to make consistent contact were the factors that pushed him to the major leagues. He had some unexpected success as a power hitter during his rookie season, but he still kept a balanced approach in terms of GB/FB ratio and hitting the ball to all fields.
As for the current campaign, McLain has seen his FB% rise to 45.4 percent, the 28th highest rate of 149 qualified hitters (through Thursday). When paired with a league-average barrel rate and a ball with extra drag, the expected has occurred: his power has dried up and his batting average has plunged. McLain has corrected his GB/FB ratio in June, so there are signs of him re-finding the swing that made him successful to begin his career.
Quick Conclusion: McLain is hitting flyballs like a prolific home run hitter, but the rest of his batted ball profile doesn't match. There are small hints of things clicking down the stretch, but he's not an obvious buy low.
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Michael Harris 
– 2.0 fantasy points per game
Simply, Harris has lacked the ability to hit the ball hard. His barrel rate (6.2 percent), hard-hit rate (39.9 percent) and average exit velocity (89.4) are all well below his career norms. As briefly noted in the discussion about McLain, this year's baseball appears to be particularly punishing for players with below-average power and there isn't anything clear to point to suggesting a turnaround is coming.
Team context is also important in multiple respects. Harris began the season as Atlanta's primary leadoff hitter but has most recently hit eighth since the return of Ronald Acuna. The other problem is Atlanta's relative struggles as a lineup. Even with the significant skill in the lineup, it is in the bottom third in the league in runs scored and is middle of the pack in wOBA.
Quick Conclusion: Harris doesn't have the power profile, lineup position, or team context to be a strong points league contributor.
Bryan Reynolds 
– 2.2 fantasy points per game
Reynolds has built his career on being a steady if unspectacular player. His strikeout rate is up about 3.5 percentage points from his career average, seemingly due to being too passive at the plate (matching a career low 68.8 percent in-zone swing rate). Otherwise, his quality of contact metrics and batted ball profile are nearly identical to his most productive seasons.
Quick Conclusion: Things should get better, and they could get a whole lot better if he is traded away from one of the worst lineups in the league.
