Player Outlook
The good news with Michael Brantley is that he is eligible as an outfield on draft day (unlike last year). The bad news is that he is 36 going on 66, so he could break down again if asked to play in the field too often. In an ideal world, Brantley signs with a club where he can play DH most days and give his aging body a break while showcasing his disciplined swing against righties from a spot down in the bottom half of the lineup. His days as an everyday player are likely done unless he discovers the fountain of youth in the right location. We are still talking one of the most disciplined hitters in all of baseball who has lived in the 90th percentile for Whiff% as long as it has been measured. Given his high contact and lighter power these days, he could be a nice fit in Cleveland and allow them to ease Manzardo into the fold rather than push him after a challenging 2023 season both on and off the field.

Fantasy Stats

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Fantasy Points
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Fantasy Points per Game
r
Runs
hr
Home Runs
rbi
Runs Batted In
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Base on Balls (Walk)
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Stolen Bases
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Batting Average
2024 .000
2023 382.5 7 2 7 2 .278
2022 1732.7 28 5 26 31 1 .288
3y Avg. 1822.7 34 5 27 22 1 .302
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Fantasy News

  • Michael Brantley: Announces retirement

    Brantley announced his retirement from baseball Friday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports. Brantley began his major-league career by playing 10 seasons for Cleveland before joining the Astros ahead of the 2019 campaign. The five-time All-Star put together several productive seasons with his new team, slashing .305/.365/.463 with 42 homers, 215 runs, 192 RBI and seven steals over five years. The 36-year-old missed most of the 2023 campaign while recovering from shoulder surgery that he underwent in August of 2022, but he was available down the stretch. Brantley was a free agent during this offseason and will elect to hang up his cleats following a 15-year career in the majors.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: In lineup for Game 6

    Brantley is starting in left field and batting second in Game 6 of the ALCS against the Rangers on Sunday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. The veteran slugger will make just his third start of the series as Houston attempts punch its ticket to the World Series at home. Through six playoffs games this year, Brantley has gone 5-for-20 with a double, a homer, two walks, a stolen base and two RBI.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Out of lineup for Game 5

    Brantley isn't in the Astros' lineup for Game 5 of the ALCS against Texas. Brantley will start on the bench as Houston rolls out an outfield unit of Chas McCormick, Mauricio Dubon and Kyle Tucker for the second consecutive game. The 36-year-old Brantley is 5-for-19 with a homer and two RBI during the postseason.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Not in lineup for Game 4

    Brantley is not in the lineup Thursday for Game 4 of the ALCS versus the Rangers. Brantley should appear off the bench at some point, but the Astros will start Chas McCormick, Mauricio Dubon and Kyle Tucker across the outfield with left-hander Andrew Heaney taking the mound first for Texas. The left-handed-hitting Brantley has posted an .807 OPS across 21 plate appearances this postseason.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Batting second in Game 3

    Brantley is starting in left field and batting second Wednesday in Game 3 of the ALCS at Texas. The struggling Kyle Tucker has been dropped to the sixth spot in the Astros' lineup for Wednesday's matchup against right-hander Max Scherzer. Alex Bregman, the Astros' usual No. 2 hitter, will bat third in Game 3. Brantley is 18-for-49 (.367) with three homers lifetime versus Scherzer and carries an overall .357/.438/.643 slash line through 16 plate appearances in the 2023 postseason.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: On bench for Game 1

    Brantley is out of the lineup for Game 1 of the ALCS against the Rangers on Sunday. The 36-year-old will take a seat for the series opener with lefty Jordan Montgomery on the mound for Texas. Mauricio Dubon will start in center field while Chas McCormick moves to left in place of Brantley.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Not in lineup for Game 3

    Brantley is not in the lineup for Game 3 of the ALDS on Tuesday at Minnesota. Brantley takes a seat after going 2-for-7 with two singles, two strikeouts and a walk over the first two games of the best-of-five series. Yainer Diaz will serve as the Astros' designated hitter and Yordan Alvarez is patrolling left field Tuesday versus the Twins and right-hander Sonny Gray.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: No limitations for ALDS

    Brantley said Friday that he'll be "100 percent available" and has "no limitations" for the ALDS, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Brantley didn't make his season debut for the Astros until late August following a slow recovery from shoulder surgery and wound up starting just 14 of 29 contests down the stretch while battling nagging issues with the shoulder. Just Thursday, manager Dusty Baker admitted he wasn't sure how much he'd get out of Brantley during the series versus the Twins. However, the 36-year-old contends that he won't have any restrictions heading into the ALDS.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Wild card for ALDS

    Astros manager Dusty Baker admitted Thursday that he's not sure what he'll be able to get out of Brantley during the ALDS versus the Twins, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. Brantley was in and out of the lineup down the stretch for Houston while battling nagging soreness in his surgically repaired shoulder. He hit well when available in slashing .294/.302/.451 with two homers over 14 games. Brantley will be on the Astros' ALDS roster while the team hopes he'll be healthy enough to play every day, but it's not guaranteed.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Resting Saturday

    Brantley will sit Saturday against Arizona. Brantley returned in late August after missing more than a year due to shoulder surgery, then missed eight games earlier this month due to soreness in the same shoulder. When available, he's been effective, hitting .294/.302/.451 with a pair of homers through 14 games.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Four hits in return

    Brantley went 4-for-5 with a double, one RBI and one run scored in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Mariners. Brantley was a powerhouse from the No. 6 spot in the lineup after an eight-game absence. The outfielder contributed an RBI single as the Astros padded their lead with a seventh-inning rally. He's batting .319 over 13 contests this season while adding two homers, seven RBI, seven runs scored and two doubles. The 36-year-old hasn't attempted a stolen base in his limited action.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Returns to lineup Wednesday

    Brantley (shoulder) is back in the lineup Wednesday versus the Mariners. Brantley will start in left field and bat sixth for the visiting Astros after missing eight straight games because of more shoulder discomfort. He's produced two homers, six RBI and six runs scored in 12 games when healthy this season.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Remains out Tuesday

    Brantley (shoulder) isn't in the Astros' lineup Tuesday against the Mariners. Brantley was available off the bench Monday but never came into the game, and he will continue to sit Tuesday due to shoulder soreness. Yordan Alvarez will start in left field while Yainer Diaz operates as the designated hitter.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Available off bench

    Brantley (shoulder) will be available off the bench Monday against the Mariners, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. The veteran isn't listed in the starting lineup for the series opener, but skipper Dusty Baker stated before the contest that Brantley will be available if called upon. He's been dealing with a shoulder issue since Sept. 17 and hasn't seen any action since.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Continues to sit

    Brantley (shoulder) is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Mariners. Brantley's shoulder issue will keep him out of the starting nine for the seventh time in as many games. He remains on Houston's active roster for the time being, but it's unclear when he will be ready to play again.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Remains on bench Sunday

    Brantley (shoulder) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Brantley hasn't been in the starting lineup since Sept. 17 due to shoulder soreness, and his absence will extend to six games Sunday. Chas McCormick will receive a turn as Houston's designated hitter while Mauricio Dubon starts in center field.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Shoulder still bothersome

    Brantley's general soreness, which has kept him out of the lineup for five consecutive games, is mostly concentrated in his shoulder, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports. Brantley returned in late August after shoulder surgery kept him off the field for over a year, but he lasted only 12 games before health concerns popped up again. Given that the Astros are now acknowledging that his soreness is located in that same surgically repaired shoulder, it's more difficult to see him shaking the issue off and playing a meaningful role over the final week of the regular season.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Remains sidelined

    Brantley (soreness) remains on the bench for Saturday's game against the Royals. Brantley will sit for the fifth straight game while dealing with general soreness. Shoulder troubles prevented him from making his season debut until late August, and he recorded a modest .702 OPS in 12 games between his return and his recent shutdown. It's not clear that he'll be able to play a significant role for the Astros over the final eight days of the season.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Remains out Friday

    Brantley (soreness) isn't in the Astros' lineup Friday against the Royals. Brantley has now missed four straight starts as he continues to deal with general soreness, though he remains listed as day-to-day. Chas McCormick, Mauricio Dubon and Kyle Tucker will start across the outfield Friday while Yordan Alvarez serves as the Astros' DH.
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  • Astros' Michael Brantley: Out again Wednesday

    Brantley (general soreness) is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Orioles. The Astros are facing righty Kyle Bradish, so Brantley would presumably be in the fold if he were healthy enough. Brantley hasn't played since Sunday due to general soreness. Yainer Diaz gets the start at designated hitter. Houston has an off day Thursday, so perhaps Brantley could be of service this weekend against the Royals after resting the first four days of the week.
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