We're two months into the season, giving us a large enough sample to gauge where teams and individual players are at.
While many players are off to hot starts in 2026, some teams are still looking for specific players to get going and help push their respective clubs to the postseason. With this in mind, we asked our beat writers about one player that their teams hope will heat up in the month of June.
The following numbers are entering Sunday.
Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West
American League East
Blue Jays: 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
When Vladdy heats up, so will the Blue Jays. It’s that simple. This team has been challenged by countless injuries in 2026 and struggled to recapture the offensive identity that got them to Game 7 of the World Series last season, but Guerrero can be the shortcut to this whole thing turning around. At times, Guerrero has tried to do too much, which has led to some uncharacteristic at-bats. The power just hasn’t been there, either, but we know that Vladdy always busts out of these slumps, however long they drag on for. It’s becoming more urgent for the Blue Jays, and at this point, they need their franchise player to be the one who makes this happen. -- Keegan Matheson
Orioles: SS Gunnar Henderson
There have been short spurts of Henderson playing up to his potential in May, but the 24-year-old shortstop still entered Saturday with a .215 average and a .693 OPS. The power has been there at times -- hence his team-leading 13 home runs -- but Henderson hasn’t quite fully clicked yet. The good news for the O’s is that Henderson typically rakes in June. During his first three full MLB seasons from 2023-25, he hit .331 with 1.000 OPS over 75 games played in June. This is the time of year Henderson typically heats up, and Baltimore could certainly use it as the club tries to build positive momentum into the summer. -- Jake Rill
Rays: OF Chandler Simpson
Perhaps fittingly, the fastest man in baseball sprinted out of the gates this season, batting .314 with a .349 on-base percentage and 11 stolen bases in his first 30 games of the season. His defense in left field is still noticeably improved, but he’s run into a little tougher luck lately. In his next 24 games, Simpson posted a .258/.291/.330 slash line with three stolen bases, while getting caught stealing five times. If Simpson gets back on track, he’s a potent weapon in front of the Rays’ top hitters: Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz. -- Adam Berry
Red Sox: SS Marcelo Mayer
Perhaps now that the fourth overall pick in the 2021 Draft is playing his natural position of shortstop with Trevor Story out for several weeks, the left-handed hitter can at last get something going offensively. Known as a good offensive player when he was coming through the farm system, Mayer really hasn’t been able to get in any kind of rhythm at the plate since his initial call-up to the Majors a year ago. If he could start to click, it would make a huge difference for the bottom third of the batting order. Mayer has some power and the ability to shoot the ball into both gaps. For whatever reason, things just haven’t panned out for Mayer to this point, though he remains an excellent defender. -- Ian Browne
Yankees: C Austin Wells
Entering Sunday, the Yankees’ pitching staff had a 2.74 ERA when Wells is behind the plate. But the Bronx Bombers want more than defense and great pitch calling from Wells. His production in the batter’s box has been almost nil. Wells is 17-for-73 (.233) with four homers against fastballs and a combined 6-for-59 (.102) against breaking balls and offspeed pitches. The Yanks have J.C. Escarra as a backup, but he hasn’t produced with the stick, either. The Yankees may need to make a deal before the MLB Trade Deadline on Aug. 3 and acquire a hitting catcher. -- Bill Ladson
American League Central
Guardians: OF Steven Kwan
Kwan is slashing .207/.329/.259 through 54 games, and the Guardians recently moved him out of the leadoff spot for the first time since June 2022. His production has increased a tick since he moved down in the order; Kwan is 8-for-34 (.235) with 11 walks and four strikeouts in 12 games batting sixth, seventh and eighth. While Travis Bazzana has fared well since moving to the leadoff spot on May 23, the Guardians count on Kwan to consistently get on base and to be an offensive catalyst. Kwan heating up would lengthen Cleveland’s lineup, no matter where he bats going forward. -- Tim Stebbins
Royals: 1B Vinnie Pasquantino
Pasquantino was coming off a coffee-fueled spring during Team Italy’s run at the World Baseball Classic, right in the center of it as the captain. Then the crash hit. Pasquantino posted a .467 OPS in April and is slashing .213/.303/.342 now in 55 games this season. His strikeout rate has ticked up to 18.4% from 15.7% last year. Pasquantino showed the type of hitter he can be last year with 32 homers and 113 RBIs, and the Royals’ offense doesn’t work if Pasquantino isn’t mashing in the middle of it. They haven’t given up on him yet, nor will they. But a hot June from Pasquantino could be just what he and the Royals need to get out of their current funk. -- Anne Rogers
Tigers: 1B Spencer Torkelson
The way the Tigers’ May has gone, you could fit a lot of Detroit bats in this category. But Torkelson has been notoriously streaky, with a five-game home run streak at the end of April sandwiched between a miserable first month and a similarly difficult May. His plate discipline remains extremely high, yet he ranks among the worst strikeout rates in the league, a sign that he has been missing pitches in the zone after punishing any fastball over the plate during his home-run streak. He’s trying to become more aggressive and decisive without chasing, and he shows signs of breaking out every so often. Still, the Tigers need this two-time 30-homer slugger to get back to providing instant offense if they’re going to dig out from their miserable start. -- Jason Beck
Twins: 2B Luke Keaschall
He’s shown flashes at times, and he doesn’t look lost. But at no point this season has Keaschall found traction on the kind of offensive production he managed last year as a rookie. His approach has remained solid, he’s just not hitting the ball with authority. Keaschall is a key component of the Twins’ offense, which has overall been quite good, and they need him to get going. -- Matthew Leach
White Sox: C Edgar Quero
Starting catcher Kyle Teel has not played an inning for the 2026 White Sox after suffering a right hamstring strain during the World Baseball Classic and then dealing with a sprained lateral collateral ligament in his right knee while rehabbing for Triple-A Charlotte. The onus quickly moved back upon switch-hitter Edgar Quero, who entered Sunday’s contest against Detroit with a .539 OPS, two home runs and 15 RBIs. Veteran backstop Drew Romo also is in play, but the White Sox need offense from Quero akin to the solid numbers he produced as a rookie in 2025. -- Scott Merkin
American League West
Angels: DH Jorge Soler
Soler got off to a strong start to the season but had a rough month at the plate in May and the Angels need him to get going to bring some much-needed power to the lineup. Soler, 34, is going to be a free agent after the season and could become a trade chip if he turns it around offensively. He’s currently nursing a groin injury but is playing through it and said it doesn’t affect him at the plate. -- Rhett Bollinger
Astros: SS Jeremy Peña
Peña was the Astros’ best offensive player last year, but had his season derailed by a broken finger suffered in an exhibition for the Dominican Republic while preparing for the World Baseball Classic. Once he returned to the Astros, he played in only a handful of games before a hamstring injury cost him a month of games. As the Astros’ leadoff hitter, Peña is vital to the team’s offensive success and he began heating up in late May, hitting three homers in a six-game span. That’s a great sign for an Astros offense that’s without Carlos Correa for the rest of the season. -- Brian McTaggart
Athletics: OF Lawrence Butler
Viewed as one of the leaders of this A’s young core, Butler has struggled mightily this season, entering Sunday batting .162 with a .503 OPS through his first 52 games. There are other underperforming sluggers in this lineup such as Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom, but the A’s are really missing Butler’s dynamic abilities as a power-speed threat and will need that version of him to be at their best as an offense. -- Martín Gallegos
Mariners: C Cal Raleigh
This one is obvious, and beyond the fact that he's on the IL for the first time in his career with a right oblique strain. Before hitting the shelf on May 14, Raleigh went through a career-worst 0-for-38 that was impacted by pain in the area. Yet his glaring struggles go all the way back to the World Baseball Classic. No one expected another 60-homer season, but neither did anyone anticipate a nearly 400-point dip in OPS. -- Daniel Kramer
Rangers: SS Corey Seager
Well first, he needs to get healthy. Seager has been on the injured list since May 18 with back spasms and back inflammation, but even before he landed there, he was hitting just .179 with a .639 OPS. The Rangers could always use a healthy Seager, but they also need the best version of him to slot into the middle of the lineup with the resurgence of Josh Jung and Joc Pederson, as well as Ezequiel Duran, who has thrived in his absence. -- Kennedi Landry
National League East
Braves: 3B Austin Riley
Ha-Seong Kim has struggled, but Jorge Mateo and Mauricio Dubón are capable of handling the shortstop position until decisions are made before the Trade Deadline. The greater need is to get Riley going. The third baseman has experienced slow starts before and then erupted in the summer months. A fourth career 30-homer season is possible with another similar surge. -- Mark Bowman
Marlins: OF Kyle Stowers
Miami needs production outside of middle-infield duo Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards, and it starts with 2025 All-Star Stowers. After sustaining a hamstring injury in Spring Training that kept him sidelined until April 19, Stowers has been unable to recapture his swing. Entering Sunday, Stowers' 12.4-point decrease in barrel rate was the highest qualifying Major Leaguers. The Marlins' power-starved lineup could use the same Stowers who slugged 25 homers and drove in 73. -- Christina De Nicola
Mets: INF Bo Bichette
The bottom-line numbers still look bad for Bichette since signing a three-year, $126 million contract in January. His May was roughly as unproductive as his April, though Bichette at least showed significant signs of life toward the end of the month, homering thrice in a two-game stretch in Washington and adding a three-hit game a week later. It’s still not peak production for Bichette, but it’s at least closer to the player the Mets thought they were getting. Perhaps hitting in front of white-hot Juan Soto will help Bichette catch fire himself. -- Anthony DiComo
Nationals: OF Dylan Crews
The Nationals optioned Crews to Triple-A during Spring Training in hopes of giving the 2023 No. 2 overall Draft pick an opportunity to reset offensively. Since being called up on May 19, Crews is slashing .220/.256/.317 in 10 games. He has recorded at least one hit in eight of those contests. The Nats would like to see Crews get back to the player he was as a standout at LSU by not putting too much pressure on himself and playing to the strengths that got him to this point. -- Jessica Camerato
Phillies: SS Trea Turner
The Phillies could really use a few guys heating up throughout the lineup, but it all starts with Turner. They recently dropped him out of the leadoff spot in the hopes it could provide a spark -- and he responded with a homer in back-to-back games. That’s a start, but he’s still a long ways away from being the player he was last year when he won the NL batting title. This Phillies offense is at its best when he’s hitting leadoff and getting on base ahead of MLB home run leader Kyle Schwarber. -- Todd Zolecki
National League Central
Brewers: RF Sal Frelick
A favorite of manager Pat Murphy, whose fondness for hard-nosed, undersized players goes back to his college coaching days with Craig Counsell at Notre Dame and Dustin Pedroia at ASU, Frelick is a Gold Glove-caliber defender and a tough at-bat when he’s right. But after compiling a 5.2 bWAR in his first two full seasons in the Majors, he’s been carrying a negative bWAR for much of this year and saw his OPS slip back under .600 going into Sunday.
“He’s one of our guys,” Murphy said. “I love Sal. I don’t tell him enough. I should tell him way more than I tell him. I need to do that. Let me write that down.”
He wasn’t joking. On one of the date books and notepads filled with blue ink that cover his desk, Murphy found space to jot a note: Tell Sal, “I love you, Sal.” -- Adam McCalvy
Cardinals: 3B Nolan Gorman
St. Louis needs more than Jordan Walker to be a run producer. Gorman is a guy that hit 27 home runs and had an OPS+ of 116 in 2023, but the left-handed hitting slugger hasn’t come close to those numbers since then. He needs to cut down on his strikeouts. Entering Sunday, Gorman has struck out 62 times in 205 plate appearances (30.2 percent) and a .211 batting average. He is now in a platoon situation at third, but needs to improve against right-handed pitching as well. Gorman has a .211 average against them. -- Bill Ladson
Cubs: CF Pete Crow-Armstrong
At this time a year ago, Crow-Armstrong was an early MVP candidate -- entering June, PCA had produced a .272/.306/.557 slash line with 15 home runs and 17 steals. Compare that to his numbers entering Sunday -- .237/.327/.391 with seven homers and 12 steals. Not only is PCA’s offensive production crucial to the Cubs’ success, but so is his electric style of play, which is enhanced exponentially when he’s hot at the plate. We saw that on Saturday against the Cardinals, when PCA recorded four hits, including a home run, and made yet another highlight reel grab in center. -- Manny Randhawa
Pirates: C Henry Davis
Pittsburgh’s offense ranks near the top of the National League after the club finished 30th in baseball in OPS last season. The success comes while its primary catcher, Davis, is batting .134 with a .230 OBP through Saturday. The former first overall pick showed slight signs of heating up in May by slugging four home runs. Any added production will suffice at this point.
“Process-wise, (this has) definitely been my best month I've thought in the big leagues,” Davis said on May 25. -- Aiden Stepansky
Reds: 2B Matt McLain
One of baseball's best hitters in Spring Training, McLain has been unable to take that swing into the regular season. He snapped an 0-for-19 skid on Tuesday with a bunt single but hasn't been able to build sustained success. McLain will have a good week but then find himself back in a hitless stretch for a while and has already been dropped from the second spot to the bottom portion of the lineup – for a second consecutive season. His superb defense and intangibles have kept him in the lineup. If he can start hitting and getting on base more, he lengthens it even more. -- Mark Sheldon
National League West
D-backs: SS Geraldo Perdomo
Perdomo finished fourth in the NL MVP race last year and was a force in the Arizona lineup joining Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll for a potent top of the order. Perdomo’s 7.0 bWAR led all NL position players and he managed to hit 20 homers and drive in 100 RBIs. Early this year, though, Perdomo has struggled to repeat those numbers. He has picked up the pace a little bit lately and the Diamondbacks hope that’s a sign of things to come. -- Steve Gilbert
Dodgers: SS Mookie Betts
Betts came into this season excited about the work he had put in to get his swing back on track, but he landed on the IL with a right oblique strain after appearing in just eight games. Since returning on May 11, he hasn't hit consistently, leading the Dodgers to drop him from second to cleanup in the lineup. After having the worst offensive season of his career last year, Betts believes that he can still tap into his MVP-caliber form. It's just a matter of finding it, which Betts may be doing -- he had a multi-homer game last Tuesday against the Rockies and had three hits against the Phillies on Saturday. -- Sonja Chen
Giants: 3B Matt Chapman
The Giants were expecting Chapman to be a key piece of their lineup, but the 33-year-old veteran has sputtered at the plate thus far, dragging down an offense that has been among the worst in the Majors this year. Chapman has struggled to drive the ball, hitting only one home run over his first 55 games, so he’ll need to find a way to do damage more consistently to finally break out of his extended slump. -- Maria Guardado
Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr.
Take your pick. Tatis finally hit his first homer on Saturday, but the struggles have been pronounced. But Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado have actually been worse this season offensively. Realistically, the Padres need to get all three of their superstars hitting like superstars. But Tatis’ struggles have been the most glaring, largely because of who he is -- and, conversely, what he means to the Padres. When Tatis is rolling, it feels like the Padres’ offense usually is, too. -- AJ Cassavell
Rockies: Ezequiel Tovar
Talk about getting an early jump on the month. Tovar homered three times during the final week, and wrapped up a two-homer Friday night with his first career walk-off. Many of the players on the roster are platoon players that manager Warren Schaeffer is using to maximize chances to win. But the Rockies need everyday stars to perform to expectations. Tovar was below .200 in mid-May but is starting to show improved patience and hitting the high fastballs that had been beating him for much of the first two months. -- Thomas Harding