Last week, I discussed the players who terrified me as we headed into the second month of the season. This time around, we get to the happier side of the coin -- those players who are having legitimate breakout 2018 seasons, not April mirages. Separating the Chris Sheltons from the Jose Bautistas of the baseball world is tricky, but predictions aren't too exciting if there's no risk of being incredibly wrong.
Yoan Moncada, Chicago White Sox: Yes, Moncada strikes out a lot, and while there will likely be some bit of improvement long term, he's going to always be a player who whiffs frequently. But what makes me unconcerned about this issue is that he swings hard and is swinging at the pitches he's supposed to be swinging at. Before being placed on the disabled list over the weekend with a tight hamstring, Moncada ranked 22nd best of 174 qualifiers at not swinging at out-of-zone pitches. He's not always hitting strikes, but what he is hitting, he's hitting hard, currently in the top 10 in baseball in average exit velocity. His .868 OPS will come down a bit once he's healthy, but he is a solid second baseman and can lose 100 points and still be a terrific player.
Outlook: The ZiPS projection of .249/.340/.418 the rest of the way looks about right to me in the batting average and on-base percentage, but I suspect Moncada's slugging percentage winds up north of .450. I'm not worried about the hamstring unless it becomes a nagging issue.
