Jared Young Is Barreling Everything — And Nobody's Paying Attention

Jared Young is hitting .350 over the last seven days with a .379 wOBA, a 100.3 mph average exit velocity, and a 75.0% hard-hit rate. He's rostered in 2% of leagues. That disconnect is the entire story.

WaiverScout has been tracking Young since late March, cycling him between deprioritize and watch classifications as his playing time fluctuated. We flagged him as a watch on June 1 at 0% ownership, again on July 16 at 1%, and again on August 6 at 1%. Each time the signal flickered, then faded. This time, the data underneath looks different — and stronger.

The Rolling Window Tells the Story

Young's numbers across all three rolling windows show a hitter who has been consistently productive, not just hot:

  • 7-day: .350 AVG, 1 HR, .379 wOBA, 14.3% K%, 75.0% HardHit%, 100.3 mph EV
  • 14-day: .300 AVG, 1 HR, 2 SB, .367 wOBA, 13.3% K%, 81.7% HardHit%, 99.4 mph EV
  • 30-day: .290 AVG, 2 HR, 3 SB, .361 wOBA, 15.2% K%, 84.7% HardHit%, 101.0 mph EV

That 30-day wOBA of .361 is not a fluke. It's built on 79 plate appearances — enough to tell us something real. His strikeout rate has been dropping, from 15.2% over 30 days to 14.3% over the last week. For a 31-year-old lefty bat, that kind of contact quality paired with declining whiff rates suggests refinement, not luck.

The Batted Ball Data Is Legit

This is where the case gets compelling. Young's 30-day hard-hit rate sits at a staggering 84.7%, with an average exit velocity of 101.0 mph. Even his "worst" recent stretch — the last seven days — features a 75.0% hard-hit rate and 100.3 mph EV. He's squaring the ball up consistently, and the results are following.

The 3-for-5 game on August 9 wasn't an empty multi-hit day — he drove in a run. The homer on August 14 confirmed the power is still in the bat. And the two steals over the 14-day window add a sneaky dimension you don't expect from a first baseman. Young is contributing across categories.

Why Isn't Anyone Talking About This?

Ownership sits at just 2% with only a +1% change over the past week. The velocity is stable, meaning the masses haven't caught on yet. FantasyPros noted his 3-for-5 breakout against Pittsburgh, and Fangraphs has his profile page active, but the broader fantasy community hasn't moved on him. That's your window.

Young has logged 21 PA over the last seven days — consistent playing time that suggests the Mets view him as part of their everyday mix. If you're weighing him against other available options at first base or in an outfield slot, consider that Jake Bauers, Kyle Stowers, and Tyler Soderstrom are all competing for the same roster spots in fantasy, but few of them are matching Young's combination of contact quality, power, and plate discipline right now.

The Verdict: Watch

Jared Young is a firm watch. The 45 PA sample gives us solid confidence in what we're seeing: elite-level exit velocities, a declining strikeout rate, a wOBA trending upward across every window, and steady playing time. He's not a blind add yet — we want to see the walk rate recover from a 0% mark over the last seven days, and we want another week of consistent lineup placement. But the underlying skill data is real. If you're in a deeper league or need 1B/OF help, put him at the top of your watch list. WaiverScout has been tracking this signal for months. It's the loudest it's ever been.