Yankees outfielder Chris B. Young has been on fire in the past week and Krispie’s monster week culminated in last nights 3-hit performance including a 3-run homer run, his ninth. Ol’ Young has got himself a nine game hitting streak, with two homers, two stolen bases and eight RBIs in the stretch. He’s also managed four straight multi-hit games. Not bad for a guy with a .313 OBP! Ugh. Well, that number actually is bad. Still, Young’s batting .370 with three homers, 10 runs and 10 RBI in June and he’s managed to bring his average up to a respectable .270. The counting stats aren’t that bad for a guy who’s been stuck batting in the bottom of the order most of the year, but the fact that he’s been hitting higher in the order as of late could be a big reason for his recent success. He even led off on Thursday night! His BABIP suggests he may actually be getting a bit lucky, but sometimes, particularly in fantasy, lucky counts for just as many points as good. In deeper leagues, if you’re hurting for an outfielder Chris B. Young is definitely worth a look while he’s hitting all the baseballs. At the very least, he’s a reliable source of power in a good line up and a great park, and at just 10% owned he’s definitely worth a flier while he’s hot.
Here’s what else I saw Friday night in fantasy baseball:
Giancarlo Stanton – First, some most devastating news. Outfielder, slugger, lover, and soul mate, Giancarlo Stanton has broken a bone in his left hand. Nooooo! He is scheduled to get an x-ray today but best case scenario is he’ll likely be out at least a month. Fantasy owners need to brace for the worst, because sluggers need their hands to hit dingers, knawhaimsayin? I take full responsibility for this injury. After the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, I went out out and bought G-Carlo a 16 lb diamond ring for the ultimate proposal. What else do you get to impress the guy who makes $325 million dollars? It’s clear to me now that Stanton wearing that ring during BP no doubt caused his hand injury. Sigh. Sorry, but I’ve gotta move on, G, I need a partner who’s going to provide for me. Provide me top fantasy value, that is. Has anyone seen Mike Trout? Also, I’m going to need that ring back.
Brett Anderson – 7.0 IP, 5 hits, ER, BB, 10 K and his 4th win. He’s given up just 4 runs in his past 3 starts (21.0 IP), and is rocking a nice 2.67 ERA for June. I wouldn’t expect double digit strikeouts, but definitely he’s a worthy streaming option while he’s hot and healthy. As a hypochondriac, hot and healthy are my two must-haves in a mate. Eh, who am I kidding, she doesn’t have to be hot, just healthy and preferably a practicing Scientologist.
Dee Gordon – 3-for-4, run, SB (26). I stepped out of my CryroPod into the clean plexi-steel sterility of the Concu-GorLex Galactic Space Station. “Great space scott! What is this place?” I ask into the InfactoBand mounted on my wrist. “How long have I been in CryroHydronic suspension?” “24 months, 6 days, 7 minutes, Master Jode.” replies my hyper sexualized British robot priestess, Angelflare. Has it really only been two years? And you’re telling me Dee Gordon is batting over .350 with 26 stolen bases? Also, batting close to .400 in the past week with 4 stolen bases? So basically I would have been better off drafting Gordon over Billy Hamilton? Egads, Angelflare! So this what has become of the Northeastern Quadrant? I can only assume Hugo Darquelord must be behind this..
Howie Kendrick – 4-for-5, RBI. “Get headquarters on the Space Skype, Angelflare! I need to let my long time associate and former partner at SpaceX Academy, Gruff Marsman, know that Lord Darquelord is planning something.” And if I wasn’t mistaken, it could threaten the entire helium supply of Northeastern Quadrant. Everyone from Beta-9 District to the Sand Dunes of Fillamare could be in grave danger…Hey razzballers! So, Howie Kendrick, huh? If you’d like to read more of my Steampunk Space Novella/Erotica, check out my space blog! [Editor Note: Link was removed. Site down due to inactivity.]
Brandon Phillips – 1-for-4, 2 SB (11). OK, okay. I don’t like him, you don’t like him. Overall, he is just a crummy human being. But they don’t give fantasy points for niceities. BP is stealing bases and hitting baseballs and leading off. He should be owned.
Noah Syndergaard – 8.0 IP, 5 hits, 5 K and his 3rd win. Noah has shown flashes of brilliance, but only flashes. There is a ton of upside here if you can choose the right starts, but if he’s striking out 11 Blue Jays and can’t last five innings versus the Braves, picking the right starts could be easier said than done. If only we has an InfactoBand like the great Space Bounty Hunter Jode Kradon…Regardless, I’d be cautious with Noah’s start next week versus the Dodgers in LA.
Adam Eaton – 1-for-5, HR (5). Lead off home runs in back-to-back games, and a nice four game hitting streak! Whoa, sounds to me like someone is about to get injured real soon! Please don’t.
J.D. Martinez – 2-for-4, HR (19). ALL HE DOES IS HIT HOME RUNS! JEEZ DUDE! His third straight game with a homer, JD-Mart is likely the hottest potato in the land of fantasy, and that includes the Northeastern Quadrant! Six homers in the past week! In the past two weeks, he’s batting .350 with 9 homers and 19 RBI! *Fantasy Pro Tip* That will help your fantasy team!
Edwin Encarnacion – 3-for-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI. #Edwinning. Remember Charlie Sheen, you guyz? Me niether.
Kevin Pillar– 2-for-4, run, RBI. Bizzarro Kevin Millar is batting .350 with a homer and two steals in the past week! You should probably grab him if you need an outfielder! Cowboy Up! Or, I guess, Po Boy Up! Mmmm, Cajun!
Prince Fielder – 2-for-4, HR (12). His 300th career home run! He is now hitting his weight in career home runs.
Devon Travis – 1-for-4, run. Not the flashiest of returns from the DL, but if he’s sitting out there on waivers I’d grab him on the chance he can get crazy hot again.
Andrew McCutchen – 2-for-4, 2 runs, SB (4). Great ‘Cutch! Now steal 20 more bases and you’ll be worth my 5th pick.
Max Scherzer– 8.0 IP 5 hits, 2 ER, 7 K and his 9th win. Mad Max did his best Imperator Furiosa (because she’s the real hero anyway, #subliminalfeminism #votehillary! ) impression and carried another no-no through five innings. It was his 100th career victory. He’s allowed just 2 runs and 6 hits in his past 26.0 IP, with a 33/1 K/BB rate. Max should get Madder more often.
Francisco Lindor – 2-for-5. Back-to-back multi-hit games for the rook. I grabbed him in a few leagues and he hasn’t really overwhelmed, but my Sherpa tells me good things are coming. Good things. By the way, my Sherpa is also my drug dealer.
Jimmy Paredes – 3-for-4, 2 runs. PARA, PARA, PAREDES! OOOO-OOOO-OH! That was my Chris Martin impression. Agreed, it needs work. I have a hard time trusting Jimmy, but he’s batting .440 in the past two weeks with 2 HR and 8 RBI. He should be owned.
J.J. Hardy – 1-for-3, HR (3), 2 RBI. Has Hardy’s mystery of the missing power stroke been solved? I don’t know but he’s hit safely in four of his last five games so if the home runs return he’s definitely worth a look.
Mookie Betts – 1-for-5, SB (12). Mook was spitting hot fire in the middle of the Sawx line up, so naturally Farrell moves him back to leading off where he’s struggled all year. It makes so much sense when you think about it! Wait? No. Wait!
Trevor Plouffe – 2-for-4, 2-run HR (10). Don’t say Plouffe goes the dynamite…don’t say Plouffe goes the dynamite…don’t say…d’oh!
Brian Dozier – 3-for-4, HR (15). Dozier is dreaming of power at second base! Bryce Harper? What are you doing in my dreams? Wait! Not so fast, you’re already here, no reason not to stay and chill for a bit…
Kendrys Morales – 1-for-3, HR (9). Hey, it’s a Royal that might actually deserve a spot on the All Star team! How fun!
Robbie Ray – 6.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 5 K. Grey told you to BUY this start based on that crazy robot, Stream-O-Nator, who I’m told makes a brief cameo in the new Terminator movie. SoN is also made of liquid metal, so it remains highly portable. I almost made Rob-Ray my lede this week. He and his 1.02 WHIP, but he gets the Dodgers next week and I’m scared to recommend him. D-Backs fan(s), Robbie is your Ace! How do you feel about that?
Yonder Alonso – 2-for-4, RBI. Yonder offered very little to the fantasy owner outside of average but SD’s new manager Pat Murphy is hell bent on batting Alonso third because…reasons that I will never understand. Regardless, as long as he’s hitting .320 and batting behind Kemp and in front of Upton he’s an intriguing play. The counting stats should improve and he is available in most leagues.
Nolan Arenado – 2-for-4, 2 HR (22). Torenado! I love so much the things that you choose to be. He has six homers and 11 RBI in the past week, and could be looking at a 40 homer season. Knock on wood, jinx, no take backs, scratch the goocher. People said I was mad when I drafted him in the 3rd round, but this is why we razzball, folks. #shamelessplug Mwahahaha! People also said I was mad when I spent karjillions of Zorg credits building HydroSuit technology that could sustain life without helium, and now I could be last human alive in the Northeastern Quadrant who can stop Hugo Darquelord from mining all the helium with his krystantium generator. Wait, where was I. Arenado! He is good at baseball.
Carlos Gonzalez – 5-for-5, 3 runs. A homer shy of the cycle. CarGo grabs five hits after sitting the previous three games. I think I’d be okay with CarGo playing just 2 times a week if the games were going to be like this.
Aramis Ramirez – 1-for-4, 2-run HR (9). ARam hits a home run once a week, every Friday, so I don’t feel like a jerk for telling you to by him three weeks ago.
Scooter Gennett – 2-for-4, HR (4). Scooter sounds like the name of guy who’d be posting anti-gay marriage and pro-confederate flag memes on facebook, mucking up my feed with hate and sadness. Fantasy wise, Scooter’s got two home runs in the past three days, so I guess will continue to follow him for now.
Gerardo Parra – 2-for-5, HR (5). Grow a Parra! Grab Gerardo! Grey told you to BUY and he’s batting .320 with 5 runs, a homer and two SB in the past week! He’s a Parra professional! Bad joke!
Jake Arrieta – 7.0 IP, 3 hits, ER, 2 BB, 7 K. I’ve been telling you to buy Arrieta low for weeks now, but he’s probably way past that point at this…err, point. Well, I guess I have not been telling you directly, per se. I like to think I have been warging the advice through Grey. I can take control of his thoughts and man, does that guy really likes cooking competitions! Thank you, chef!
Taijuan Walker – 7.0 IP, 7 hits, ER, 6 K and his sixth win. Hey, Tai. I don’t care that you hurt me so bad in the first two months that my ratios will never recover. He’s got a 44/3 K/BB rate in his past six starts and he makes me want to be a better person.
Robinson Cano – 1-for-4, HR (4). I feel like someone is warging into me right now and telling you to buy. Also, what’s a “warg” exactly?
Fernando Rodney – 1.0 IP, hit, 0 ER, 2 K, SV (15). McClendon used his better relief pitcher, Carson Smith, to dispatch Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in the 8th (which he failed to do), so Rodney got another chance at the ninth and notched the save. I have no idea who will get the next save opportunity, but I assure you either way you will think the manager is an idiot.
Mike Trout – 3-for-4, HR (19). SCOTUS RULES! MARRIAGE FOR ALL! HOO-RAY! We mustn’t delay, Michael! This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. We can have the dinosaur themed wedding in Dallas we’ve always dreamed about. We can both dress as our favorite Chris Pratt character (I’d be Star Lord, obvs), and our guests will come dressed as their favorite dinosaur. Subway will cater with Sweet Onion Teriyakis and Bud Lights. It’s gonna be so freakin’ romantic, bro! Then we will honeymoon in the Amazon rain forest, before heading to Ecuador where we’ll sample the juice of San Pedro cactus in the desert and experience pure fantasy ecstasy. Thanks a lot, Obama! No, really, I mean that!
Thanks for reading! Questions? Problems? Complaints to management? Advice, small gifts or large bribes? Please leave it in the comments below. Join us next Saturday for another Friday recap as fantasy baseball continues next week, all week long!
