I'm back baby! Returned henceforth from thy vacation, and I have no idea if that attempt at Ol' English made any sense. Now I wanna drink a 40! Which is something Julio Urias can't do!
So much happens in baseball when you're gone for two weeks! Well, I was just on vacation for one week, but most of it was without internet. Yeah - rough! First time I've done a big vacation like that during the baseball season. Not gonna lie though - kinda worth it for a little break. But alas - we have a lot to catch up on! Like Urias getting a very surprising (to me) call up this early. Sure he was mowing down AAA, but he's 19 and the Dodgers seemed to go into the year with a lot of pitching options. Then Alex Wood went from scratched (giving Urias his debut in a "spot-start" that went poorly against the Mets) to the DL, so Urias has a shot to stick in the rotation for a bit. With that little bit of extra leash, how would Urias respond in a tough matchup at Wrigley? Here's how the MLB's youngest cub fared last Thursday afternoon:
Monthly Archives: June 2016
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Think Ryan Braun in 2007 (.324/91/34/97/15). As a damn rookie in 114 games! Now, that was a different era, and Braun has different juices flowing through his veins now, but he wasn't the only one to make an immediate impact:
- Melvin Upton Jr. in 2007 (.300/86/24/82/22 in 126 games - essentially his peak form)
- Max Scherzer in 2008 (3.05 ERA, 10.61 K/9 in 56 IP)
- Kyle Schwarber in 2015 (.246/52/16/43/3 in 273 AB)
- Jurickson Profar, 2B (13.3%) - Oh, not the name you expected? Who'd you think I was highlighting? Trea Turner? C'mon now...I'll take the better prospect. "(Gasp!) Did he really just say that?" Yessir. And I've been patiently waiting to say it for three years now since I drafted him in an AL-Only. Sure, Turner arrived in the bigs over the weekend, and is already up to 30%+ owned, but it won't last long (called up due to paternity leave for Ryan Zimmerman), and I believe his perceived value is tied more to the infield situation in Washington than his own offensive prowess (he's a faster Zack Cozart...). On the flip side, Profar was the #1 prospect in baseball three years ago, flashed incredible pop at a young age prior to his injury (only 23 yo now), and possesses enough wheels to get 15-20 SB in a full season. The playing time is the obvious concern here with Rougned Odor back from suspension, the Rangers committed to Elvin Andrus at SS, and the money designating Fielder as their DH, albeit undeservingly. However, Profar has hit safely in every game since his call up (7 straight through Saturday) with multiple hits in 5 of those games. Already blasting 2 HR with 9 runs, Profar is proving he's both healthy and capable in his call-up. Even with Odor back, the Rangers should use Profar to spell Beltre, potentially fill in at 1B and DH (like he did Saturday) and get some OF reps with all their injuries. If he continues capitalizing on the opportunity, he won't stay unowned for long as, if nothing else, he's an incredible MI option.
When the season started, the hype was on top prospect Byron Buxton... he had the center field job won out of spring training and had the tools to be a fantasy asset. Then he started the season going 7-for-49 with not enough counting stats to warrant him being on your fantasy team any longer, so the Bill Heywood-led Twins demoted him to Triple-A. Down there, he worked on his composition, his derogatory comebacks, and sharped the tools in his shed. That resulted in him slashing .336/.403/.603 with 6 homers and 4 steals in 29 games. Now, fast forward to a week ago when he was promoted, everyone could see he was on (or most likely on) waivers, feeling burned by the failures of his previous performance. He has gone 7-for-20 in his second chance at life in Minnesota, reaching base in every game and looking like a completely different player confidence-wise. Because confidence doesn't come in a bottle, which will kill all the snake oil salesman's pension funds... but oh well. Byron has made a slight timing adjustment to his swing and it is working wonders, and he's, from this point on, someone to watch as he brings speed defense and youth vigor to an already "looking forward to next year" Twins team. If he can maintain an OBP of between .320-.330, I think he can have a healthy steal total by the all-star break and be pushing 25-30 for the season. If and buts were soup and nuts, my grandma always said, and it remains to be seen if he can be the asset we all thought, but the prospect status is almost gone from him now and he needs to show it or be buried in fantasy waiver wire purgatory. Let's see what else was going down on the basepaths this week in the SAGNOF report...
We have a compact slate of only ten games today, but there's a whole lot of lefty action going on, so let's see who we can expose to cash in on some DK dolla billz. Jon Lester, $11,600 seems like the obvious choice against a weak Philly offense, but he hasn't been the K machine on the road that he has been at home. At home he's been beasting out, as opponents are hitting a mere .186 with 55 Ks in 48 IP and on the road they're hitting .271 with only 14 Ks in 22 IP. Granted it's a very small sample size, but it is something to think about going into a hitters park. I may not be feeling Lester today, but I am One Hunnit on a Cubbies stack vs lefty Adam Morgan. Steven Matz, is another LH stud going tonight against Pit and as good as he's been I'm hesitant endorsing him as well because of the matchup. Pit has been swinging it against LHP, ranking in the top 5 at a .267/.445/.787 clip. With JDong Jr (Jung Ho Kang) back along with Marte, Cutch, Freese and Mercer, I think Matz it's going to have a rough night. Now that I've negged you out on the top two starters for tonight who should you roster?
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‘Breaking Wind’ Shields Blows To Chicago
June 6, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 703 Commentsby: Grey
James Shields was traded to the White Sox for Erik Johnson and Fernando Tatis Jr. I remember well his father, Fernando Tatis Jr. (yes, they are both juniors; not at all confusing). I remember Tatis because he was the reason back in 2000, I said on my Geocities site, Fantasy Baseball and Neon Green Backgrounds, the following, "The Cardinals won't bring up Albert Pujols because they have Fernando Tatis. Let's just be grateful we made it through Y2K with all of our AOL emails intact. I got this forward from my uncle that is hilarious! Also, I think JC Chasez is easily the best singer in NSYNC. Justin Timberlake? More like Give-Me-A-Timberbreak!" Wow, that didn't age well at all. So, the Padres finally listened to me and attempted to get younger. No idea about this Tatis; he's so young he doesn't even have a Wikipedia page yet -- and Carson Cistulli has a Wiki page longer than Harriet Tubman! Elsewhere, Erik Johnson becomes an NL-Only add, but his wonky control leaves him a streamer for now in mixed leagues. As for Shields, leaving Petco + aging pitcher who hasn't looked great for over a year now = Aged Balsamic. Hmm, math's off there, was supposed to equal risky bet for mixed leagues with increased win potential and decreased ratios. Anyway, here's what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:
Quick, who's the hottest hitter over the last 15 days? Amazingly, that would be Jonathan Villar. I drafted him very late in my RCL to be my MI for SAGNOF and amazingly, he's well on his way to being an All-Star. Now, the Brewers have Orlando Arcia on the cusp of being major-league ready at SS. What will they do? It's hard to say at this point but that, among other things, have been discussed on Razzball in Week 9. Here's a look at everything posted on the website over the last week:
Leave it up to me on a day where there's more than enough good arms out there to make you cringe about a pitching selection. Yes, it's true. I'm honestly suggesting CC Sabathia on this fine Sunday. You might ask yourself, 'how did Sky find a way to make this hard on a slate featuring Arrieta, Jo-Fer, and Nola?'. And you might ask yourself, 'why would you suggest a guy just a few fake internet ducats off from The Dark Knight, Cole, and Gausman?'. You might also ask yourself, 'why do I feel like Sky is setting me up for a Talking Heads reference in a piece where he references Black Sabbath?'. Cuz it's the same as it ever was, friends. Really, I'm not suggesting huge upside here nor am I suggesting CC is the best play on the board. So what am I suggesting? Well, for starters the Orioles have been low key bad against lefties so far this year, sitting 25th in wRC+ against southpaws for the year. That in and of itself gives a decent backdrop for me to be intrigued. When you also factor in CC's pitch selection change this year to make up for the lack of giddyup in his FB - swapping mostly over to the cutter - it makes his gains so far this year not seem too much like a mirage. So in tourneys, look to have yourself some CC shares and pair him with your pick of this pitching litter on a day where he'll go microscopically owned. But enough about this, let's talk about that. Here's my Electric Funeral hot taeks for this Sunday DK slate...
New to DraftKings? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well reserve your spot in the 25 Team Razzball Exclusive League set to run Monday June 6th to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. It’s how we know you care! If you still feel helpless and lonely, be sure to subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays.
Down On The Farm: Nick Williams and Other Notes
June 5, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 109 Commentsby: Geoff
We all have certain prospects we're partial to. Players that for whatever reason strike your fancy, and you'll forever view them through rose colored glasses. For example I think Peter Gammons is still hyping up Matt Murton. Grey wrote like 7 sleeper posts about Jedd Gyorko. Former prospector Mike legally changed his name to Maikel Franco. I on the other hand trekked down to Pawtucket, RI on consecutive days in April to watch Nick Williams first hand. Did I like what I saw? Was I impressed? Click that button, find out.
Pick Up Archie Unless You’re A Jughead
June 4, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 114 Commentsby: Dan Pants
[player]Archie Bradley[/player] pitched six innings of four hit ball Friday night against the Cubs, allowing one run, walking three and striking out ten. Archie has been a highly touted prospect for a while, but hasn't really been able to put it all together, until now, dot dot dot, question mark? But the real question mark here--Betty or Veronica? I was always a Ronnie guy, because I am a masochist and I prefer a woman who hates my guts. Regardless, after struggling in spot starts in April and early May (2 GS, 10.1 IP, 14 hits, 9 ER, 7 BB, 6 K), and holding a plus-6 ERA in 10 career major league starts, Archie has returned to the bigs in a big way. In two starts since being recalled, Bradley holds a 2.70 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 13.1 innings, with a 19/4 K/BB ratio that will make your fantasy team real happy happy. Slightly more impressive when you consider yesterday's start was on the road against a fearsome Chicago line up. I was gonna stream him, but then I was like, "nah." That was a mistake. I won't doubt you again, Archie. Bradley was rocking a 1.99 ERA, 1.08 WHIP with 47 strikeouts in 7 starts at AAA Reno this season, so it's clear he's ready for the next level. I would grab Bradley in all leagues where he's available. Grey told you to BUY and he gets a cushy match up with the Rays next week. Don't be a Jughead, grab Archie!
Here's what else I saw in fantasy baseball Friday night:
So you want to be a DFS superstar... A tune that will be sung by Rich Hill owners today. Now you have to be careful pitching at the ripe old age of 36. Rich Hill pulled his groin and had to miss his last start. He's back today and facing the Houston Astros. Minute Maid Park may be a juicy match up for homers, but that's not something Rich Hill gives up easily. Since the start of 2013, Ol' Rich has only given up 7 homers and hasn't allowed more than 3 earned runs in a single game. Surprisingly, he has been better away from the pitching friendly confines of O.co Coliseum. He has been limiting hitters to a .511 OPS and owns a sub 1.00 WHIP. The Astros are slightly below average with 98 wRC+ vs LHP, but strike out at an absurd rate of 26.1% (3rd worst in the MLB). Rich Hill has one of the best spin rates in the league on his curveball, which plays well with his fastball that helps him generate above average swings and misses. He has the most curveballs thrown with a RPM greater than 2500, by nearly double that of the next closest pitcher. His curveball is only allowing a .252 SLG and his fastball a .227. Meanwhile, the Astros are only managing a .170 batting average and a .267 slugging against curveballs, both 4th worst in the league. Put Rich Hill in your lineup to become a DFS superstar... and live large... Here are the rest of my DFS picks for Saturday June 4.
New to DraftKings? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well reserve your spot in the 25 Team Razzball Exclusive League set to run Monday June 6th to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. It’s how we know you care! If you still feel helpless and lonely, be sure to subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays.
Closer Report, Week 9 – Jazzy Jeff And Will The Thrill
June 4, 2016 | Closers, Middle Relievers | 29 Commentsby: Smokey
Situations arise all the time with closers. Injuries occur, poor performance, and then the return of the incumbent. In the preseason, Will Smith was the guy the Brewers had tabbed as the closer. Then, like I just said, an injury happened. So now that he is back, what goes on in the back-end of the Brewers bullpen? Jeremy Jeffress has done a stellar job with a less than average set-up crew in front of him. He has pitched to a 2.45 ERA and a slightly more bloated xFIP of 3.41. For all his previous tangles with pitching, he is striking out far less then he is normally accustomed to at just a 6 K/9 rate. Low for a closer, even from the Lauvern and Shirley state. He has managed 14 saves in 15 opportunitioes, and for a team like the Brewers, 14 is a healthy total. So does his reign come to an end now that the best reliever is back in the fray? Granted, it is never a great thing when usual mop-up relievers start stealing your stats, namely Blaine Boyer and Carlos Torres, who have 3 saves between them in the past nine games. And granted, saves are wonky and games dictate them sometimes, come from behind wins, and situational loogy-ness are also a factor. So I think with the way Jeffress has been going, he stays there until Will comes and steals his mojo and never looks back... Until the trade deadline, which could alter things up completely and basically revert it back to the way it was. So if Will Smith is on your waivers, do yourself a service and add him speculatively for a week or two. If he doesn't give you the returns that you expect, then, well, the opposite happened of what I think should happen. Enjoy Week 9 of the fantasy baseball season's closer report!
