Taking a look around the league, here’s a recap of last night’s action and suggestions for your fantasy baseball team.
Mr. Clutch (pitcher) – It took Matt Moore just 109 pitches to throw a two-hit, complete-game shutout against the Red Sox. I expected Moore to fall off a bit this start after the last few powder-puff starts, but he looked better than ever as the Rays have been red hot. The advanced stats still scream sell, but it’s hard to look at a pitcher who shuts down one of the best teams in baseball and has been elite nearly all season long. I’m still skeptical that he can keep his current pace up, but it is getting harder each week to argue for selling Moore.
Mr. Clutch (hitter) – Andrew McCutchen has been that sneaky fantasy player who was drafted in the top five and has not made much noise but has been effective. Well, last night, he made some noise, blasting two home runs against Washington. Since the All-Star break, he has been on fire, going 7-for-17 with four homers, four runs, six RBIs and a steal. Even though many thought he was being over-drafted, Andrew McCutchen has done nothing but further legitimize his claim as one of the best players in fantasy baseball.
Surprise, surprise! – Dillon Gee has not garnered much attention from fantasy players with his recent string of quality starts, but with his most recent outing against the Braves, we might want to start paying attention. He scattered two hits and three walks over seven innings while racking up three strikeouts. His bullpen once again cost Gee a victory, but even without the win, Gee was nothing short of dominate for his fantasy owners. If you need pitching, Gee needs to be picked up. The strikeouts are going to be few and far between as well as wins with that awful bullpen backing him, but he still is better than other pitchers like Josh Johnson or Tim Lincecum, who is owned in way too many leagues.
Here comes the heat – Four home runs in two games? Yeah, Jayson Werth is NBA Jam hot right now. He has the ability to be a top-tier fantasy outfielder, but injuries have been the story for Werth. A healthy Werth in the second half could mean big things for you and the Nationals. Enjoy the ride till the next DL stint.
Left out in the breeze – Speaking of Lincecum, dude got rocked against the Reds. When you throw 140 pitches the start before, chances are you are going to get rocked the next time out. I would love to see the stats for pitchers in their next start who throw 130+ pitches in their previous start. I have a feeling it looks a lot like Lincecum’s start against the Reds last night, getting beat up in less than three innings and surrendering six earned runs off of six hits and a walk.
Who’s trending? – Christian Yelich was called up by the Marlins and is expected to be an everyday starter. He becomes an immediate add in all formats based on the upside alone. Here is what Rotowire.com had to say about Yelich.
Yelich will be called up by the Marlins on Tuesday. Spin: The offensively deficient Marlins will give themselves a shot in the arm by promoting the 21-year-old Yelich from double-A Jacksonville. The highly touted prospect has been limited to 48 games this season due to a couple injuries, but he’s has slashed .277/.364/.518 with seven homers and five steals and will get to bypass the triple-A level completely. He’s expected to start off playing center field for Miami.
Bench me, please? – I wonder how many words are going to be typed out discussing Ryan Braun? Well I am not going to do that; instead, I’m going to pour a 40 out for Braun’s 2013 season and move on. For the fantasy owners who drafted this guy, here’s a highlight clip of Braun’s 2013 season.
The Streamer – There are some interesting streaming options available Tuesday but my pick has to be Jhoulys Chacin. As you would expect from a Colorado Rockies pitcher, Chacin has a significant home/road split. At home, Chacin has a 4.48 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Away? Chacin is sporting a 1.90 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Well Chacin is pitching at Miami, which makes picking Chacin a no-brainer.
Links of the day – Some seek fame, some seek fortune and others just seek links.
- Matt Adams? Justin Smoak? Find out if they are worth picking up here.
- Junior Lake worth picking up? NL-only players may want to take a gander at this article.
- Pirates prospect time! Check out the mid-season review.
- Is Jonathan Villar going to make an impact in fantasy? Check out this review.