In the fickle world of fantasy baseball, there is a distinct difference between “chasing points” and “riding the wave.”
Chasing is reactive. It is buying high on a player whose heater is already cooling. Riding the wave, however, is a calculated embrace of momentum. When a veteran suddenly finds a new gear, the savvy manager doesn’t ask how long it will last, they simply roster the production until the wheels fall off.
If your roster is currently starved for power, two veteran names are currently defying the aging curve by leaning into one of the most bankable trends in modern hitting: the launch angle revolution.
At 34 years old, Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas is currently the poster child for “riding the wave.”
Usually known as a high-contact utility man, Vargas has transformed into a legitimate offensive engine. He is currently riding an incredible 18-game hitting streak, slashing a massive .357/.375/.671 over that span.
Most impressively, he has turned that contact into damage, racking up five home runs, 16 RBIs and 14 runs scored in those three weeks.
The secret isn’t just luck, it’s physics. Last season, Vargas struggled with a worm-killing 3.2-degree average launch angle. This year, that mark has jumped to 7.4-degree. Though he still is hitting plenty of line drives, he has optimized his swing to get the ball airborne just enough to clear the fences.
We saw this exact blueprint two seasons ago with Yandy Díaz.
In his age-32 season, Díaz finally traded his elite groundball rate for a more lofted approach and saw his power numbers explode. Vargas is mirroring that path, and with potential multi-position eligibility around the infield, he is the ultimate “plug-and-play” while this heater continues.
While Vargas is the tsunami, Dominic Smith is a rising swell you should catch before it peaks. Now providing veteran stability for the Braves, the 1B/DH is currently on an eight-game hitting streak. During this stretch, he is slashing .379/.387/.655 with two homers and nine RBIs.
The most enticing part of Smith’s profile right now isn’t just the .276 ISO, it’s the volume. The Braves currently lack a definitive right-handed platoon partner for him. This has forced Smith into a near-everyday role, sitting only against the most elite left-handed specialists.
For fantasy managers, volume is king. When a player with Smith’s pedigree gets consistent plate appearances in a high-octane lineup like Atlanta’s, the counting stats follow naturally.
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In a long 162-game season, we often get caught up in “sustainability.” You might look at a 34-year-old on an 18-game streak and think, “I missed it.” But in the pursuit of a power boost, the goal isn’t to find a player who will hit .350 for the next six months, it’s to find the player who is doing it right now.
Vargas and Smith are currently locked in. Their approaches are adjusted, their confidence is high, and their roles are secure. Add them, start them and enjoy the production. Just remember the golden rule of the wave: Enjoy the ride, but keep one eye on the shore so you can jump off the moment the bat begins to slow.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy, catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Ch. 87) weekdays from 6-8 p.m. and dominate your leagues with the latest baseball news and advice from Fantasy Alarm.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
