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) – Yu Darvish shut down the Royals last night, going 7.0 innings and allowing three hits, zero runs and two walks while striking out six. Darvish has been all that and a bag of chips this season. He does not look to be slowing down any time soon either. Darvish is also sporting a ridiculous 12.28 K/9 and is on pace for over 250 strikeouts. He is currently the number-one pitcher according to ESPN’s player rater, and I think he may remain there.
Mr. Clutch (hitter) – Domonic Brown continued to dominate by going 3-for-3 last night with a home run, a run, four RBIs and a walk. Brown has been absolutely destroying it these last few games. Over the past week, Brown is 12-for-27 with seven home runs, eight runs, 13 RBIs, two stolen bases and two walks. Brown’s FB% is consistent with his career average; it’s just his fly balls have been going over more. He has a 30.2% HR/FB rate whereas his career HR/RB rate is 16.3%. Its hard to believe that Brown will remain this good. Just a few days ago, his OBP was under .300, now its .321. His aggressiveness has paid off, but I am selling high if I can. I just don’t think Brown can sustain this level of success.
Surprise, surprise! – Someone just tossed their name in to the Rookie of the Year hat and his name is Marcell Ozuna. Last night, Ozuna went 3-for-5 with two runs and four RBIs. Before Saturday, Marcell Ozuna had been on a 17-game hitting streak which is impressive for any player. He is also making a strong case to remain in the lineup even after Giancarlo Stanton returns. I am a bit hesitant to think that Marcell Ozuna can sustain this success. He was not known for his hitting ability and his strikeout rates were a bit alarming. In the majors, Ozuna has been striking out, but a 20.6 K% is something you can live with. For now, enjoy the ride. If he keeps this going, I think he is working his way into 12-team mixed league territory. Marcell Ozuna should be an instant add in keeper leagues.
Here comes the heat – Jarrod Parker is trying to forget his awful April and is doing so in a big way. Last night, he shut the White Sox down, going 6.1 innings and allowing two hits, zero runs and two walks while striking out seven. For me, I am not ready to add him if I am in a 12-team mixed league. He remains an excellent streamer option, especially against a team like the White Sox.
Left out in the breeze – Zach McAllister got roughed up last night, going 4.1 innings and allowing seven hits, four runs and four walks. No real surprise here. McAllister has been pitching pretty well this season, but his advanced stats point to a drop-off in the already mediocre numbers he has put up.
Who’s trending? – David Freese extended his hitting streak to 12-games last night, going 1-for-4 with a home run, a run and two RBIs. He was a player that had been dropped in many leagues but has had it going the last couple of weeks. During his hitting streak, Freese has a .357/.426/.667 slash line with three home runs, seven runs and 13 RBIs. This is what you were looking for when you drafted Freese this season. He should be an instant add if he is still available.
Bench me, please? – Lorenzo Cain was a hot add, but has cooled off and should be dropped in standard leagues. Cain was a batting-average guy who had little pop and speed. His batting average has dropped nearly 30 points in the past two weeks. Time to cut bait.
The Streamer – Andy Pettitte is coming off of the disabled list today to face the Indians. Pettitte has done this enough times that I am not worried about his first game coming off of the DL. Deploy with confidence!