As you might have already figured out from the title of this post, Josh Reddick (+76.1%) was the most added player in fantasy baseball this past week. What else could you have possibly guessed? Wait, let me stop you at leather chaps and Rammstein. To each his own. But getting back to JOSH Reddick, it’s not difficult to figure out why his recent ownership numbers have surged. Over the last two weeks, he’s produced a 10/3/15/0/.463 batting line across 48 plate appearances, leading MLB in both on-base percentage (.542) and slugging percentage (.805) during that time period. Consider his early plate discipline numbers (8/5 BB/K), high LD% (29.7%), and low SwStr% (4.9%), and Reddick looks like he’s locked in. Enjoy the ride while it lasts, and based on these early results, it could last for a while. Here are a couple of other big adds and drops in fantasy baseball this week:
Adam Lind – 49.4% owned (+24.7%)
The book on Lind in recent years is that he’s a power-hitting 1B who mashes RHP and can’t hit lefties. A classic platoon player. Based on his .214/.259/.331 career triple slash line against LHP as opposed to a .294/.351/.512 line against RHP, that reputation seems to be well-deserved. However, Lind does have a lot of things going for him. As the only legitimate left-handed power hitter Milwaukee’s roster, he’s not likely to sit each time an opposing lefty toes the rubber, which is evident in his 23 games started out of 25 total team games prior to yesterday. Within his division, pitchers like Jon Lester and Francisco Liriano are likely to give Lind some trouble, but what other formidable LHPs will he be facing on a regular basis? Jeff Locke? Travis Wood? Not exactly a murderers row. Across the 2013-14 seasons, Lind’s .856 OPS (against all pitching) was the 24th best mark in MLB among players with a minimum of 500 PA, and his .945 OPS this season is the 16th best mark in the early going. Did I mention that Miller Park ranked as the 5th most homer-friendly ballpark in baseball for left-handed hitters in each of the last three seasons? Well I’m mentioning it now. I’m also mentioning that you should grab him immediately if he’s still available in your league. TREASURE.
Adam LaRoche – 65.5% owned (-21.6%)
I’ll admit it: LaRoche isn’t the sexiest fantasy option in the world. He’s reached the 30 HR mark just once in the last eight seasons, has never exceeded 100 RBIs in a season in his entire career, and sports a .263 career BA, which is likely to drop as the 35 year old player’s bat speed slows as he continues to age. What LaRoche does provide is consistency. He’s hit 20+ HR nine times and logged 78 or more RBIs eight times throughout his career. Over the last three seasons (2012-14), his 79 home runs represent the 16th highest total in MLB, while his 254 RBIs rank 23rd in that span. Much like Miller Park, US Cellular Field has been beneficial to power hitters, possessing a park factor in the top 10 overall for HR for left-handed hitters in each of the last three seasons, and ranking in the top 5 for overall HR during that span. Hitting cleanup behind one of the best hitters in the game in Jose Abreu should allow LaRoche to reach 80+ RBIs once again. A .255/23/85 line might look boring, but it’ll play at CI in the current offensive environment. TREASURE.
