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Big Magoo

Author: Big Magoo

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Big Magoo

One Man’s Trash: Peraltus Atrox

August 18, 2015 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 19 Comments

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David Peralta (+25.8%) was the most added player in fantasy baseball this past week. Crotalus atrox (aka the Western diamondback rattlesnake) is widely considered to be the most dangerous snake in North America, but since the MLB All-Star break, another Diamondback has given that species a run for it’s money as far as that distinction goes. In 27 second half games (101 PA), Peralta has been on an absolute tear, producing a .409/.446/.677 triple slash line (1.123 OPS – tied for 4th best in MLB) with 12 runs, 4 homers, 25 RBI, and 1 steal. Sure, Peralta’s .500 BABIP over that span might come down a hair (or three) over the long haul, but he’s been an RBI machine (64) while hitting cleanup behind one of the best hitters in baseball (Paul Goldschmidt, in case you’re having a brain fart), and has managed to put up solid power numbers (12 HR, .222 ISO) and a plus batting average (.306) over the course of the season. While Chase Field has been one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks over the past few seasons, Peralta has been almost as good on the road (.874 OPS) as he has been at home (.926 OPS) this season as well. He still sits against tough left-handed pitchers and had some split issues last season, but he’s at least held his own against southpaws this year (.286/.375/.411 in 64 PA). Grab him if he’s still available, but make sure to bring some anti-venom just in case. Those diamondbacks pack a wallop!

Here are a couple of other significant adds and drops in fantasy baseball over the past week:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Big Magoo

Bear or Bull: The Justin Verlander Conundrum

August 13, 2015 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 24 Comments

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As a Justin Verlander owner in 2013 and part of 2014, I know what some of you must be thinking. “What exactly is the conundrum here? That he’s garbage or hot garbage?” Hmmm… I feel like you’ve painted me into a corner there. Garbage, I guess? It’s true that Verlander has been a shell of the player that he was during his peak seasons in recent years, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that his days as a useful fantasy contributor are over. The goal of this post is to determine whether or not he has anything left in the tank as objectively as possible. That means forgetting about the irreparable ratio damage that he inflicted upon our teams over the past few seasons. And ignoring the Scrooge McDuck-like money rooms that undoubtedly exist at each of his houses. Not to mention his ability to motorboat Kate Upton whenever he feels like it. I’ve got my bear pic all queued up and ready to go! Oh, right. Gotta stay unbiased. With that in mind, let’s take a look at Verlander’s numbers throughout his MLB career:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Big Magoo

One Man’s Trash: Luis Navidad

August 11, 2015 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 25 Comments

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Luis Severino (+29.7%) was the most added player in fantasy baseball this past week. You know that the MLB youth movement is officially underway when even the Yankees refuse to part with their top prospects at the trade deadline in order to acquire a veteran rental for the stretch run. “I just traded Severino and Aaron Judge to the Mariners for Hisashi Iwakuma. Suckers! We just found our Hiroki Kuroda replacement, and it only took a couple of unproven kids to get him. You’re welcome, New York!” That’s pre-2015 Brian Cashman gloating about a potential deadline deal that might’ve been made in seasons past. Fortunately for Yankees fans, Severino was off-limits in trade talks and was promoted to the big league club just under a week ago instead. The 21-year-old phenom flashed his impressive arsenal (mid-90s fastball, slider, changeup) against the Red Sox in his debut and more than held his own, allowing just 2 hits and 2 runs (1 earned) over 5 innings of work while walking none and striking out 7 batters. Severino has excelled at limiting the long ball, allowing only 8 homers in 320+ minor league innings throughout his career. He’s exhibited impressive control in the minors (2.3 BB/9) while striking out just over a batter per inning (9.1 K/9) during that time period as well. However, as is the case with most young pitchers these days, Severino’s workload is likely to be closely monitored in the coming weeks. He’s already thrown over 100 combined innings this season, and he seems to be in store for roughly 35-40 more (or 6 more starts) if the Yankees follow the old +30 rule for young pitchers. He looks like the real deal, but is likely to be skipped/shut down by mid-September, limiting his fantasy value for the rest of this season. Until then – giddy up!

Here are a couple of other significant adds and drops in fantasy baseball over the past week:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Big Magoo

Bear or Bull: Is Carlos Santana Primed for a Supernatural Resurgence?

August 6, 2015 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 61 Comments

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Few players have been more vexing to own in fantasy baseball this season than Carlos Santana. Great things were expected from the 29-year-old switch-hitting slugger in 2015, but he’s currently being out-slugged by the likes of Jose Iglesias and Dee Gordon while producing a lower batting average than Ryan Howard and fewer runs batted in than Jose Altuve. That’s about as successful as the recent Ryan Seacrest show was. But while there’s little chance of Seacrest becoming useful in the near future, Santana has been productive in recent years, and, as a player who has yet to reach his 30s, should theoretically possess the same skill set that has allowed him to enjoy that fantasy success. Let’s take a look at his career numbers on a yearly basis since his MLB debut in 2010:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Big Magoo

One Man’s Trash: Eaton Some Chicago Deep Dish

August 5, 2015 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 64 Comments

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Adam Eaton (+39%) was the most added player in fantasy baseball this past week. Up until recently, Eaton has been the fantasy baseball equivalent of a “salad guy” throughout most of his career. You know the type of person that I’m referring to. The kind who orders a salad as his main course for a meal at a restaurant, just like in the episode of Seinfeld where Jerry did that exact thing on a date and then spent the rest of the episode trying to man-up for his woman and make reparations for that questionable decision. There usually isn’t much substance to the salad guy, and I always find that person difficult to trust quite frankly. “Hey, here’s another 1-for-4 for you, and I even threw in a run this time. Maybe I’ll steal a base for you next week. Or not. Stay tuned!” That’s pre-2015 Eaton talking to his fantasy owners while munching on some lettuce. Smug bastard!

However, things have changed for Eaton this season, particularly in the second half. Maybe he finally traded in those salads for some delicious Chicago deep dish pizza over the all-star break. In 16 post-ASB games, he’s produced a .410/.532/.656 triple slash line with 3 homers, 18 runs, 7 RBI, and 5 steals. He’s finally going deep at the dish this year, hitting 9 of his 15 career homers while posting a career-high .155 ISO thus far. I’m not sure I’m entirely convinced that he’s turned over a new leaf (because he’s eaten so many over the years), but there’s nothing wrong with riding this schmotato while he’s hot.

Here are a couple of other significant adds and drops in fantasy baseball over the past week:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Big Magoo

Bear or Bull: The Cuban Missile Crisis

August 1, 2015 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 15 Comments

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It’s been quite a crazy week in major league baseball. With the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline just around the corner (in a few hours, actually), contenders are loading up for the stretch run. Among the more prominent names involved in recent deals include Johnny Cueto, Cole Hamels, David Price, Carlos Gomez, Troy Tulowitzki, and Jonathan Papelbon. One big name player who was involved in a blockbuster deal last July and is likely to be on the move again within the next few hours (if he hasn’t been traded already) is Yoenis Cespedes. If the Tigers decide to trade him prior to this year’s deadline, that would represent the third time that he’s been traded in the last calendar year. What is going on here? How did he go from this guy to this guy in such a short period of time?

Let’s take a look at his statistics since his MLB debut in 2012:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Big Magoo

One Man’s Trash: Conforto in LF Major

July 28, 2015 | Uncategorized | 35 Comments

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Michael Conforto (+29%) was the most added player in fantasy baseball this past week. The New York Mets have been staggering along on offense this season (29th in MLB in runs scored), which hasn’t exactly made life easy for their impressive trio of starting pitchers (Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Noah Syndergaard) thus far. Despite this offensive ineptitude, they are currently just two games behind the NL East leading Washington Nationals in the standings. Ownership doesn’t seem to be interested in significantly adding to the team payroll in order to improve the offense, so what’s a playoff contending team to do? Why not call on your stud prospect for a boost down the stretch? Sounds nice and cheap to me!

Enter Conforto. The 22-year-old former first round draft pick has been successful at each stop in the minor leagues, but logged just 197 plate appearances above single-A ball prior to his MLB promotion. However, he’s certainly hit the ground running in the very early going, producing a .444/.583/.667 triple slash line in his first three MLB games, including an impressive 4 hit outing against the Dodgers in just his second career big league game. Unfortunately, Steamer isn’t terribly impressed, projecting a .243/.297/.383 line with 4 homers and 1 steal in 143 plate appearances for the rest of the 2015 season. The early book on him seems to be that he has plus power and plate discipline for his age, but offspeed stuff, particularly breaking balls, can give him problems. He’s definitely worth a lottery ticket, but you probably shouldn’t expect Conforto to be a fantasy stud immediately.

Here are a couple of other significant adds and drops in fantasy baseball over the past week:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Big Magoo

Creeper of the Week: Preston Tucker, The Fifth Outfielder

July 26, 2015 | Creeper of the Week | 31 Comments

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Greetings, weekend warriors. Your resident creeper, J-FOH, is unavailable this week due to either a mani/pedi or macaroni, I’m not quite sure. Bad phone connection. But whether he’s tending to some fugly nails or an empty stomach, fear not. I’m here to fill the void, minus a hundred hyperlinks or so. So let’s get to it. First up is Preston Tucker, one of the hottest schmotatoes in the land. Over the past week, he’s produced a .381/.409/1.048 triple slash with 4 homers, 8 runs, and 6 RBI. That’s a 1.048 slugging percentage, not OPS. Pretty Bryce Harper-esque. At home, where he’ll be playing six games this upcoming week, he’s managed a .291/.351/.523 line, and he’s crushed right-handed pitching to the tune of .296/.359/.585. The four righties that he’ll be facing – Garrett Richards, Jered Weaver, Rubby de la Rosa, and Jeremy Hellickson – aren’t exactly a fearsome group to contend with. As of right now, Tucker is owned in 11.2% of ESPN leagues. Like Chris Tucker in The Fifth Element, he won’t outshine the studs, but he should be a valuable role player.

Here are a few other bonus creepers for the week of 7/27 – 8/2:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Big Magoo

Bear or Bull: Is Matt Kemp Finished?

July 23, 2015 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 63 Comments

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Professionally speaking, 2015 has not been a good year for Matt Kemp. Actually, Kemp’s woes might have started last December when his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, agreed to trade him to division rival and current team, the San Diego Padres. Is there a bigger slap in the face in professional sports than when a team decides to move a player within it’s own division? The Dodgers even kicked in $32 million in cash in order to complete the transaction. Not only did the Dodgers seem unconcerned about having to face Kemp on a regular basis in the near future, but they paid down a significant portion of his salary to make it happen. It’s like breaking up with a long-time girlfriend while treating her like a one night stand. “Yeah, I have this thing to do right now, so I’ll have to ask you to leave. Here’s some cab fare for you on the way out. Have a nice life.” That’s just cold!

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Big Magoo

One Man’s Trash: May the Schwarber Be with You

July 21, 2015 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 48 Comments

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Kyle Schwarber (+46.9%) was the most added player in fantasy baseball this past week. What hasn’t been said about this elite prospect over the past few weeks? Here’s an interesting stat that might surprise you. He’s sneaky fast! Ok, maybe not, but it is a fun piece of trivia that could impress your friends and co-workers at the next social gathering. You’ll be the life of the party! Schwarber is back with the Cubs after a brief cup of coffee in June to serve as the club’s DH during interleague play. Due to Miguel Montero’s recent thumb injury that’s likely to keep him on the DL for another month or more, Schwarber has a chance to log some serious playing time in the near future. In 34 plate appearances at the MLB level this season, he’s produced a .375/.412/.563 triple slash line with a homer, 8 runs scored, and 6 RBI. His minor league numbers aren’t too bad either, as he combined to hit .323/.430/.591 with 16 homers, 46 runs, and 49 RBI in 310 PA across the AA and AAA levels this season. Power, pedigree, and catcher-eligibility – oh my! Could be a difference maker this year. Grab him if he’s somehow still available in your league.

Here are a couple of other significant adds and drops in fantasy baseball over the past week:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Big Magoo

Bear or Bull: First Half Review

July 16, 2015 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 83 Comments

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With the first half of the MLB season in the books, I thought it might be a good idea to do a quick mid-season evaluation of the players who have been profiled in this series over the last two and a half months. Of course, that entails reminding you of all of the many mistakes that I’ve made this season. Hmmm… maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all. Oh well, too late now. As the great Frank Drebin once said, “Like a midget at a urinal, I was going to have to stay on my toes.” It’s accountability time. As we look back on the bears/bulls of the first half, we’ll examine what went right, what went wrong, and what’s yet to be determined.

Just as a quick reminder, the players who are labeled “bulls” are the ones who I’m bullish, or optimistic, about going forward, while the “bears” are the players who I’m bearish on and expect regression moving forward. Let’s take a look at the monthly breakdowns of this season’s bears and bulls (post date can be found next to each player’s name):

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Big Magoo

One Man’s Trash: All-Star Edition

July 14, 2015 | Uncategorized | 52 Comments

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With the MLB All-Star game set to begin in just a few hours and the first half of the season in the books, we’re provided with the perfect opportunity to hit the reset button on our fantasy teams and re-evaluate all MLB players for fantasy purposes. The players who are of particular interest are those who have significantly over or underperformed pre-season expectations thus far. For this week’s post, we’ll look at four players who were largely afterthoughts on draft day (late round picks and undrafted players) but have turned out to be high-end fantasy performers during the first half of the 2015 season. Will these players maintain their impressive levels of production? Are they “trash” or “treasure”? Barring injury, it’s difficult to envision any of these players being “trash” since they’ve been so good thus far, but some may be more reliable than others going forward. With that in mind, I’ll use the term “TRASH” to designate the players who might have more perceived value than actual value moving forward, and the term “TREASURE” to identify the players who are worth holding onto or perhaps even acquiring for the stretch run. Here are four players who exceeded expectations in the 1st half of 2015 (with their current positions on the year-to-date Razzball Player Rater):

Please, blog, may I have some more?
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