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Author: Jakkers

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Jakkers

Top Dynasty Keepers – Hunter Brown And Yainer Diaz

September 4, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Keepers, Keeper Leagues |

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Welcome back to another week of Top Dynasty Keepers.

With the calendar flipping over to September, it can only mean one thing in the baseball world – roster expansion! For teams that have been out of contention for weeks or months, this is a chance to reward two prospects having great seasons on top of the many top prospects who have already been called up to the minors.

But for a team like the Houston Astros, this is a chance to not only reward two prospects who have had outstanding seasons, but to see if they can possibly offer some help down the stretch or even in the postseason.

CHANCE TO PROVE THEMSELVES

With the rosters expanding to 28 players starting Sept. 1, Houston added right-handed pitcher Hunter Brown and catcher Yainer Diaz to the major league roster. Brown is the club’s top prospect and is currently ranked 71st in the Top 100 Prospects list by MLB.com while Diaz is the team’s No. 3 prospect.

Both players dominated the competition in the minors, Brown all season at AAA Sugar Land and Diaz at AA Corpus Christi before moving up to Sugar Land.

The Astros entered Saturday with an 11-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West standings. Thanks to that large lead, it gives the club a chance to see what Brown and Diaz can do on the major league level – a chance they may not have received if the lead was one or two games.

Let’s dive in and see why the Astros promoted Brown and Diaz.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Jakkers

Top Dynasty Keepers – Spencer Strider

August 28, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Keepers, Keeper Leagues | 6 Comments

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Welcome back to another edition of Top Dynasty Keepers.

The final month of the regular season is just around the corner, meaning one of two things – you are gearing up for a playoff run or you are trying to figure out who should and shouldn’t be on your fantasy team next season.

Hopefully, you are in the category of owners gearing up for a playoff run. But if you are in the other category, here’s the simplest way to become a contender next season – hoard as many Atlanta Braves players as possible.

YOUNG TALENT EVERYWHERE

Major League Baseball is bursting with young, talented players. But it seems the Atlanta Braves are leading the pack when it comes having that talent currently playing on the major league level.

Already this season I have featured Michael Harris III and Vaughn Grissom, both of whom are only 21. But the Braves also have Matt Olson and Dansby Swanson, who are both only 28, to go along with 25-year-olds Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley or 24-year-old Ronald Acuna Jr.

That is just the offense. The starting rotation is loaded with young talent as well. Mike Soroka is on the 60-day IL, but he is only 24 and was the staff ace last year during the team’s World Series run. Max Fried is 28, Kyle Wright 26 and Ian Anderson is only 24.

And now comes along Spencer Strider. He has seemingly come out of nowhere to become another young stud on a team filled to the brim with them. Strider was pitching in college only two years ago. Today he is arguably the best starter for the Braves.

Let’s dive into Strider and his rise to prominence this season.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Jakkers

Top Dynasty Keepers – Grissom And Baty

August 21, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Keepers, Keeper Leagues | 2 Comments

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Welcome back to another edition of Top Dynasty Keepers.

This week we are going to take a look at two youngsters recently promoted to the majors – Vaughn Grissom of the Atlanta Braves and Brett Baty of the New York Mets.

Grissom and Baty both earned their promotions to the majors thanks largely to the fact that the Braves and Mets were shorthanded at second base and third base due to injuries. The Braves have been without Ozzie Albies at second base while the Mets will be without Luis Guillorme into September and Eduardo Escobar has been banged up and not playing well.

Both players were having outstanding seasons in the minors, and both players were drafted in 2019, but that is about it when it comes to comparing Grissom to Vaughn.

DIFFERENT PATHS

Atlanta didn’t draft Grissom in 2019 until the 11th round as the 337th player selected. Unless you play in leagues with deep minor league rosters, you or most of the other players in your league likely didn’t have Grissom on your radar entering the season.

He certainly wasn’t on the radar of the people who put together rankings lists. Grissom wasn’t ranked as a Top 100 prospect by Baseball America, MLB or Baseball Prospectus entering the season before finally reaching 79th in the MLB midseason rankings.

As mentioned earlier, Baty was also drafted in 2019. However, he was taken off the board 325 picks ahead of Grissom as the Mets tabbed him with the 12th overall pick. Because of his draft slot, Baty has likely been on the radar of most fantasy players. He entered the season as the 39th best prospect by Baseball America, 27th by MLB and 13th by Baseball Prospectus. Before being recalled by the Mets, Baty worked himself up the MLB rankings to 19th.

FANTASY OWNERS FAVOR GRISSOM SO FAR

It could be a matter of timing as Grissom reached the majors first, but right now fantasy owners are favoring him more than Baty. Grissom is rostered in 38.5% of leagues while Baty is rostered in only 17.5% of leagues. In Yahoo, both players are getting a lot more attention. Grissom is getting a lot of love as he is rostered in 66% of leagues while Baty is rostered in 38% of leagues,

With Albies appearing to be closer to a return to the Braves and with Baty clearly in position to get a lot more playing time, perhaps more fantasy owners will turn their attention to Baty.

Right now, let’s shine the spotlight on both.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Jakkers

Top Dynasty Keepers – Witt And Cruz

August 14, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Keepers, Keeper Leagues | 4 Comments

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Wow, another week of the baseball season has come and gone, which means it is time for another week of Top Dynasty Keepers.

This week I am going to change things up a bit and focus on two of the top prospects entering this season – Bobby Witt Jr. and Oneal Cruz. Both players have been on the radar of dynasty owners for years, and this season we are finally getting the chance to watch them play every day.

Witt has been a top prospects since being drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2019 and entered this season ranked as the third best prospect by Baseball America (BA) and the top prospect by MLB and Baseball Prospectus (BP).

The left-handed hitting Cruz entered the year as the 14th best prospect by BA, 26th by MLB and 12th by BP. Pittsburgh gave us a very small peak of what Cruz could do last season when he played in two games for the Pirates and went 3-for-9 with a homer. After starting the year in the minors, the Pirates finally brought him up to the show in June and he has been a mainstay in the lineup.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Jakkers

Top Dynasty Keepers – Cristian Javier

August 7, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Keepers, Keeper Leagues |

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Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another week of Top Dynasty Keepers.

Earlier this week we saw the trade deadline come and go, and when the dust settled a host of big-name stars were traded for some big-name prospects. When  it comes to Dynasty Leagues, we all love the top prospects. These the the players we all know and follow and try to build our teams around.

But as is often the case, a lot of these top prospects never quite live up to the billing once they reach the majors. If you are a fantasy owner who relies only on taking the top prospects to build your team, then your team could be struggling in the standings.

FINDING THE HIDDEN GEMS

If you really want to succeed in your dynasty league, you must look at young players who may not have ever been a top prospect but have nonetheless been successful in the minors and early in their major league careers. This week we are going to look at one of those players – Cristian Javier of the Houston Astros.

The Astros signed Javier out of the Dominican Republic at the age of 15. Now 25, Javier worked his way through the team’s minor league system before making his major league debut in 2020. Javier never appeared in any Top 100 Prospect lists, and he wasn’t even rated as a top prospect in the Astros system.

Despite not ever reaching top prospect status, Javier has become a key member of the Astros rotation and on fantasy teams everywhere as he is rostered in 85 percent of Yahoo leagues and 89.5% of ESPN leagues.

The success he is having on the mound this year makes it easy to understand why he is rostered on so many teams. The question, however, is should he be a player everyone should keep on their dynasty teams moving forward.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Jakkers

Top Dynasty Keepers – Cole And Brubaker

July 31, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Keepers, Keeper Leagues | 2 Comments

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Hello once again. Glad you are back for another round of discussion about Top Dynasty Keepers.

If you have been reading this column every week, then you know how much I prefer young hitters over young pitchers. Heck, I prefer young hitters over old pitchers as well. That being said, pitching is part fantasy baseball.

With starters taking the mound only twice a week, max, and relivers able to blow up your ERA and WHIP in a heartbeat, finding solid starting pitchers is always a chore. Finding young starters this late in the season who may also be good to great keepers is nearly impossible, but not completely.

EXPANDING THE SEARCH

Because the search for good starting pitching is a little harder, I also expand the age of the players I am willing to look at when considering them as good keepers or not. So this week let’s examine two 28-year-old starters who pitch on two lousy teams.

The first is left-hander Cole Irvin of the Oakland Athletics. Irvin has the distinction of being drafted three times in his career – once out of high school in the 29th round of the 2012 draft then twice in college after his 2015 season (32nd round) and 2016 seasons (5th round) at Oregon. Cole is widely available in Yahoo and ESPN leagues, rostered at 39% and 30.2% respectively.

The second pitcher is right-hander JT Brubaker of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Drafted in the 6th round of the 2015 draft, Brubaker is rostered in only 13% of Yahoo leagues and 8.2% of ESPN leagues.

Both of these pitchers are having career years, which is why we are taking a look at them. At this stage of the season, if you are looking at them they are probably worthy of adding to your staff for a spot start or two. But are they worthy of being a keeper?

Let’s dive in.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Jakkers

Top Fantasy Keepers – Looking At Julio Rodriguez

July 17, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Keepers, Keeper Leagues | 8 Comments

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Hello everyone, welcome back to another edition of Top Fantasy Keepers.

As we head into the All-Star break, I want to focus on one All-Star who will be making his first appearance in the game but certainly not his last. That player is rookie Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners.

Rodriguez is the lone rookie All-Star this year, making the roster at the age of 21 – and he won’t turn 22 until December 29! The last Mariners rookie to make the All-Star game was Ichiro Suzuki in 2001, putting Rodriguez into some pretty great company.

Not a Surprise

The fact that Rodriguez is an All-Star shouldn’t be a huge surprise. He was one of the top prospects during the 2017-18 international signing period and eventually signed with Seattle for $1.75 million. In 59 games in the Dominican Summer league that year, he had an OPS of .929. The next year, at the age of 18, he slashed .326/.390/.540 with 12 homers and 69 RBI in 84 games across A and High A ball.

COVID wiped out the 2020 season for minor leaguers, but he put up great numbers again in 2021 at High-A and Double-A, slashing .347/.444/.560 with 13 homers, 47 RBI and 21 steals. The only thing that slowed Rodriguez down while in the minors was a left hand fracture in 2019 and then a broken wrist during Seattle’s summer camp in 2020.

The Mariners have been aggressive in pushing Rodriguez through the system, and after proving he could handle minor league pitchers, Rodriguez earned a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Not everything has been smooth sailing for the rookie. However, as the season has progressed, so too has his production.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Jakkers

Top Fantasy Keepers – Examining Jake Meyers

July 10, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Keepers, Keeper Leagues |

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Welcome back for another edition of Top Fantasy Keepers.

Unlike past weeks, this week I am going to focus on only one player – Jake Meyers of the Houston Astros.

When it comes to the top fantasy keepers, it is easy to fall in love with the top prospects. Tons of experts have done the work of compiling the top prospect lists, which allows us to:

Look through all the lists
Come up with our own fancy formulas to weigh all of the prospects on all the lists
Create our own special rankings system and make us feel really smart

But not all of the top prospects become top players. Sometimes, those drafted in rounds 10, 11 or later are the players who become top fantasy keepers.

Jake Meyers may be one of those players. He never cracked any of the Top 100 Prospects list. Baseball America, MLB Pipeline and Baseball Prospectus never deemed him talented enough to list him with the likes of Michael Baez, Luiz Gohara or Estevan Florial. Or how about Heliot Ramos, Willie Calhoun and Kolby Allard. Those are six former Top 100 prospects – and how well have they done in the majors?

Sometimes the mid-round draft choice becomes the better player and the better fantasy keeper than a top prospect. Is Jake Meyers one of those players? Let’s take a look.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Jakkers

Top Fantasy Keepers – Examining A Royal And A Mariner

July 3, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Keepers, Keeper Leagues |

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After a one-week hiatus due to a very welcomed (and very needed) vacation, welcome back to another edition of Top Fantasy Keepers. 

Despite taking a break myself, Major League Baseball decided to keep playing baseball. During that time, one player who has rocketed through the minors was recalled to the majors while another player who is now in his second season continued to hit home runs.

The Rookie First Baseman

Earning his promotion to the majors was Vinnie Pasquantino of the Kansas City Royals. The powerful Pasquantino first tasted the minors in 2019 after an outstanding college career at Old Dominion, making him the second-greatest baseball player at the school behind Justin Verlander.

Despite smashing the ball out of minor league ballparks across America since 2019, Pasquantino is currently rostered in 33 percent of Yahoo leagues and 10.2 percent of ESPN leagues.

The Second-Year Catcher

Like Pasquantino, Cal Raleugh of the Seattle Mariners had an outstanding college career, spending three years at Florida State. And like Pasquantino, Raleigh move pretty quickly through the Mariners system after being drafted in 2018.

Also like Pasquantino, Raleigh is very available in Yahoo and ESPN leagues. He is rostered in only 7 percent of Yahoo leagues and 2.3 percent of ESPN leagues.

Let’s take a look at these two players and see if they should be on your roster or not.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Jakkers

Top Fantasy Keepers – A Pirate And Two Stud Catchers

June 19, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Keepers, Keeper Leagues | 2 Comments

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As the temperature rises each and every day as the start of summer approaches, the top prospects in baseball are beginning to make their mark in the majors. Three such rookies are pitcher Roansy Contreras and catchers Gabriel Moreno and Adley Rutschman.

Entering the season, Contreras was ranked as the 80th best prospect by Baseball America, 71st by MLB and 89th by Baseball Prospectus. The right-hander has actually been up all season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, appearing in eight games and making six starts. However, he is rostered in only 34% of Yahoo leagues and 10.5% of ESPN leagues.

Moreno, who is only 22, started the season as a top-10 prospect by Baseball America and MLB and in the top 25 by Baseball Prospectus. He appeared in his first game with the Blue Jays June 11 and collected a single that night and has collected at least one hit in four of his first five major league games. Yet he is rostered in only 27% of Yahoo leagues and 9.8% of ESPN leagues.

Rutschman is 24 and just made it to the majors with the Orioles. But he should have been with Baltimore last season as he proved he had nothing left to prove in the minors. That said, he is rostered in only 61% of Yahoo leagues and a surprising low 41.5% of ESPN leagues.

Let’s look at these three players and examine of they should be Top Fantasy Keepers or not.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Jakkers

Top Fantasy Keepers – Studs Or Duds?

June 12, 2022 | 2022 Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Baseball Keepers, Keeper Leagues | 2 Comments

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Well, another week down and time for another week of Top Fantasy Keepers.

We’ve seen yet another top prospect called up to the majors in Gabriel Moreno of the Blue Jays. But I’m not going to focus on him yet. Let’s let him get settled in before we delve into what to expect from him. But here is a hint – I would consider him a Top Fantasy Keeper.

This week, I want to talk about Aaron Ashby of the Brewers, Michael Harris II of the Braves and Trevor Larnach of the Twins.

Ashby is a left-hander who moved through the Milwaukee system with very little fanfare. Fantasy owners, however, have taken notice of him as he is owned in 68% of Yahoo leagues and 40.7% of ESPN leagues. Unlike Ashby, Harris is a well known top prospect, entering the season ranked as the 46th best prospect by Baseball America (BA), 65th by MLB and 58th by Baseball Prospectus (BP).

STUDS OR DUDS?

Recently called up by the Braves, Harris is rostered in only 26% of Yahoo leagues and 7.9% of ESPN leagues. Meanwhile, Larnach is a former top prospect who was ranked in the Top 100 by BA, MLB and BP ahead of the 2021 season before surpassing prospect status that year with the Twins. If you go by prospects rankings, Ashby is supposed to be a dud while Harris and Larnach are studs. But maybe Larnach is a dud if you look at his 4% roster rate in Yahoo and 2.5% roster rate in ESPN leagues.

Sometimes (many times?) prospects rankings get players completely wrong. Let’s examine if they were wrong or right with Ashby, Harris and Larnach.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
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