Marcus Semien Trending Up After Super Tuesday

Rangers slugger breaks out of slump with seven hits, three homers in doubleheader.

Marcus Semien busted out of his slump in a big way Tuesday with a seven-hit, three-homer day in the Rangers’ doubleheader split with the Guardians. The last time this happened? Hall of Famer Joe Morgan on July 31, 1973.

Marcus Semien is the first player with 7 hits and 3 homers on a single day since Joe Morgan on July 31, 1973. pic.twitter.com/Ul6hO2TfdC

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 8, 2022

Previous to June 7, Semien had three home runs on the season. He doubled his season total in one day.

Semien has now hit five homers in the month of June and is batting .355 this month, raising his batting average for the season to .221.

With 10 steals so far this season–two of which he nabbed on Tuesday–Semien is also now on pace to double his career-high in that category.

Fantasy managers who held on are breathing a sigh of relief.

Marcus Semien was one of my most rostered players - I thought the Regression Police went too far; he could dip and still return value - so it's only recently I've been able to breathe. Today might as well be Christmas, my birthday, and the night before Thanksgiving, all in one.

— scott pianowski (@scott_pianowski) June 8, 2022

Semien was a highly touted third-round pick in fantasy baseball drafts.

In his one-year, $18 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021, Semien bet big on himself and came out a winner. The second-baseman hit .265 with 45 home runs and 115 runs scored. That earned Semien a seven-year, $175 million contract with the Rangers for 2022.

With the recent slump from the Angels and Semien’s bat heating up, the Rangers are tied for second-place in the AL West, still 9.5 games behind the Houston Astros.

If you held on to Semien during his early-season struggles, it looks like you made the wise choice. Often, patience is a strategy in fantasy baseball.

Votto breaking out, too
Speaking of patience, managers who held on to veteran Joey Votto have also been rewarded of late. After a rough start to the season, Votto is batting .280 with three home runs and 10 RBI in the last week. Votto is now batting .198 with five home runs on the season. You may recall the Reds’ first baseman hit 25 home runs after the All-Star break last season. He’s available in 60% of fantasy leagues.