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) – Jeff Samardzija outpitched everyone last night going 8.0 innings allowing five hits, two runs and two walks while striking out seven. Jeff Samardzija has not taken the leap like everyone expected, but he has improved his ERA and strikeout rate. However, his BB/9 has gone up from 2.89 last season to 3.34 this season. Jeff Samardzija may struggle from game to game, but he will continue to provide a good source of strikeouts.
Mr. Clutch (hitter) – Shin-Soo Choo had a monster game last night, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, two RBIs and three runs. He has been all that and a bag of chips since coming to Cincinnati via trade this winter and should continue to play this way seeing how he is in a contract year. With a .322/.465/.589 slash line and a .267 ISO, this is easily a career year for Choo. Yearly leagues, I would enjoy the ride. Keeper leagues, I would look to sell high.
Surprise, surprise! – Adam Dunn rose from the ashes last night, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, five RBIs, two runs and a walk. Dunn continues to be a good source of home runs, but he kills your batting average like Dwight Howard kills your FT%. Dunn will reach 30+ home runs this season but may bat under .200 doing it.
Here comes the heat – After struggling early in April, Jason Kipnis has found his groove in May. Last night, Kipnis was 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBIs, three runs and a walk. The .236/.303/.472 slash line is just okay, but the ISO of .236 has been a strength for Kipnis this season. He should reach 20+ home runs and 30+ steals this season, and if he can hit above .250, he should be one of the top-ranked second basemen in the league.
Left out in the breeze – Getting rocked and straining a tricep is not what David Price owners wanted to wake up to today. Joe Madden already has stated that Price will miss his next scheduled start and will be further evaluated Thursday. Price’s value may not get much lower than what it is now. The window to lowball your league mates for Price will only be open for a short time.
Who’s trending? – Zack Greinke owners were treated to a surprise return last night. Greinke looked very sharp going 5.1 innings allowing five hits and a run while striking out four. He is a must-start going forward, and Greinke should give you top-20 pitching value from here on out.
Bench me, please? – After his ownership spiked to almost 90 percent during his tear last week, Ryan Raburn came back down to earth this week capped off by an 0-for-4 with one strikeout performance. He is still owned in nearly 50 percent of leagues and that number should continue to regress. Raburn is a deep AL-only guy.
The Streamer – After a rough couple of starts, owners hit the panick button and dropped Andy Pettitte. After a mechanical adjustment, Pettitte looked strong against Kansas City and now gets the Mariners at home. The only pause for concern is his home-road splits. Pettitte has a 2.63 ERA on the road and a whopping 5.71 ERA at home. Even with that, it’s the Mariners whose offense ranks in the bottom third. Deploy with confidence!
