You guys really need to be using the Player Rater on this site. It’s not only award-winning, accurate, and good-looking. It adjusts in real time faster than some of the other ones. If you go to the rest of season ranker, they’ve updated it a good deal.
Take, for example, Sal Stewart. We have him now as the fourth-ranked first baseman going forward. That’s projections, math things that Rudy does that nobody really understands except for him. The rank reflects a real skill shift for Stewart.
I’m old, so I keep some of my same processes with analyzing guys. First, with a guy like Stewart, I check the BABIP. Okay, .284 with a .292 actual batting average. That checks out. Then, does he walk, or is he a free swinger on a hot streak? 13% walk rate and a very solid 18% strikeout rate.
Sal Stewart is the truth. Everything checks out, and congratulations if you drafted him. At that cost, you got this year’s first major breakout. What a fun ride it’s been and will continue to be. He’s a true fantasy darling.
Who are some other rest of season darlings or dimwits? Who does Rudy think will keep things up, and who is crashing this season?
The White Sox sensation has come in with the exact Kyle Schwarber profile and is now rated as a top 10 third baseman for the rest of the way. He’s not my cup of tea. I don’t like the extreme chase rate or the 33.6% K rate. Batting average like his can tank you, and of course, then run the risk that he whiffs more and doesn’t hit home runs. His value is in the negatives for batting average (-2.6). My bet here is that pitchers are going to adjust, much like Pete Crow-Armstrong last season. He’s exciting and fun, yes. Is there a risk of a crater? Uh, yes. I’ll take lower ROS guys like Alex Bregman, Michael Busch, and Josh Jung over him for the rest of the season.
Verdict: Darling, but with massive dimwit potential. Sounds a bit like a romcom.
McGonigle is now hitting .330 and is the sixth ranked 3B ROS. Personally, he’s going to be third on my board, ahead of Jazz Chisholm, Manny Machado, and Maikel Garcia. The BABIP is a bit high at .371, but as that goes on his improvements and adjustments should make up for it. I love, love, LOVE this profile. He’s basically the Wade Boggs profile. Nobody should be shocked if he’s the second, even first rated 3B next season.
Verdict: Darling, darling, darling, oh my darling Clementine.
He’s down to 25th at the position ROS and I have no choice but to agree. I would expect his average to rise; a .235 BABIP seems low. The hopes were that he’d be a .300 hitter. That ship may have sailed, and he’s more of a low-end CI guy than a legit 1B starter. The power isn’t enough to support an expected batting average of .231. Feel free to move on, but put him on your watch list. He’s had months hitting .340 just last season! Don’t be surprised when he rebounds, but be ready to scoop him up when he does.
Verdict: Dimwit
The guy may just have some personal issues affecting his on field play, right? Only batting .143, Rudy has him as the 28th ranked 3B for the rest of the season. It’ll come up, that BABIP of .143 is comically low for a guy who in his past four seasons had one in the .280 range, and it’s not like he’s striking out at a crazy rate. He’s just not making solid contact. In fact, Bohm has significantly reduced his pull/air metric, replacing solid line drives with popups. Much like Aranda, move on, but keep an eye on him if he heats up.
Verdict: Dimwit, but still has that glorious hair to fall back on.
Riley had a bit of a hot streak for a bit, but he’s right back to an .091 average in the past week. He’s another guy popping up everything; 12% is not a good rate for that metric. Ranked 10th ROS, he’ll plummet down the rankings if it doesn’t turn fast. Likely, his projection is based on his good bat speed, but all the bat speed in the world doesn’t matter if your contact is weak. I think we’ve seen the best of Riley several years ago. See if you can find the owner who still believes and pounce.
Verdict: Dimwit
The new Met wasn’t 3B eligible, but should be now in all platforms. It’s been rough on him, which shouldn’t be unexpected. Changing leagues and a huge contract can do that to a fella. He’s never been a big walks guy, so a .233 average and only a .268 OBP can tell you how the season’s going. I’m not worried, though. He’s a good hitter who is pressing. The chase rate has plummeted to a bottom 6% in the league, and the contact has suffered. Bichette isn’t finding his pitch to drive like he did last year. Good news is that his XBA is still .284. Bichette will hit a hot streak, and you’ll be glad you stuck out this slow start.
Verdict: Dimwit for now, but a future darling.
Thanks for reading! Do you have any darlings or dimwits of your own? Hit them in the comments or on Twitter @theeducator23.
This year is a rebuild year for me so moving forward in a keeper sense who’s the pick….Bichette or Bregman?
I’m still team Bo here. Just a hitter with more upside
When do we see Eldridge?….rolling with Aranda right now..12 team dynasty 5×5 thank you
Imagine it’ll be quick…..but Aranda is just as good a bet as Eldrodge
Who you got as a backup to Stewart, Tork or Busch?
Busch. Heating up already, might be a CI later
Heating up? We talking about the same Busch? GW or the old man? The other Busch looks like glue factory material. Another red letter 0 fer day for him.
.382 OBP the last week, had some big hits. He’ll be fine if it as good as last year