The middle part of the season is the hardest to manage. Will the breakouts hold or vanish like smoke? Is your second-tier star in a cold streak, or are their skills declining? Let’s look at some unexpected results. Oh, and pick up Edwin Arroyo if he’s still available!BuyBryce Eldridge, 1B, SFEldridge has power. He also has a swing built to maximize that power, with a 27.3% pull-air rate that is among the highest in the league. His park and its foggy air have conspired to keep a few of his long flies in the yard, but those factors won’t contain him forever. Statcast is a big believer — by his expected stats, he should have an elite .298 average and .568 slugging. The question is whether he can keep his swinging-strike rate to the tidy 10% he has had so far. That’s a tall order for someone 6-foot-7 who swings for the fences, but if he can, Eldridge could be a star.Ramon Laureano, OF, SDLast season, Laureano had a monster year by swinging less and hitting the ball harder when he did. This year, the barrel rate is better than ever, but by other metrics he’s gone backward. He’s striking out more and pulling the ball less. In many ways, he looks like the 2024 version with more walks and a much lower BABIP. I’m not sure which one is the “real” one, but he should get an uptick in power and average going forward. The upside hope is that the bat gets better and he keeps stealing at his current pace. His seven thefts already match last year’s total.Tyler Stephenson, C, CINIt would be easy enough to brush off Stephenson’s past couple of weeks as a random hot streak, but he looks more like his old self. While it’s hard to pin down a single version of Stephenson’s “old self,” he has shown the ability to hit for both average and power. His 12% barrel rate and 12.8% walk rate provide a solid foundation, and the .250 BABIP ought to rise substantially.Nolan McLean, SP, NYMMcLean hit a rough patch and suddenly his full-season numbers look pretty ordinary. His fastball was down a tick in his clunkers against the Nationals and Reds, but it was back up for his wobbly start against the Marlins. He’s human, and these things happen. He should get back to being a top-20 starter, and it’s not a bad time to check in with his managers in case they’re getting skittish.