Corner Report: A Learning Process

I didn’t know there was a save button.

To backtrack, I’m on too many platforms.  I joined the TGFBI on the NFBC site, my home leagues are on Yahoo, my dynasty is on Fantrax, and I joined a random one on ESPN.  I’m not here to critique any site;  the trouble is having too many different platforms to try to manage.

Perfect example is my tragic TGFBI team.  I’m against some industry giants, including our own Grey, Dalton Del Don from Yahoo, Scott White from CBS, and a few others who would probably be familiar to you.  Any mistake in a league with these guys will be magnified and really make you drop in the standings.

Of course, 6 of my top 10 picks went on the IL in the first month.  That’s okay, that’s why God created FAAB on Sunday nights.  I dutifully selected my league winning pickups, picked the perfect prices, and proceeded to win none of them.  My team peaked at third overall and is now in a free fall down in the bottom third.  Why didn’t I win any?

Well, after you click the buttons, you have to hit a save bids icon on the top of the page.  That’s dumb, but also the kind of thing that happens when you try a new platform out.  It’s a lot easier when the app is second nature, but I’m getting better and I’m back out of last place.  My season is kind of a wash, but as a first time participant and such a stacked league, I’ll improve and come back with vigor next season.

Similarly, and in an awkward transition, you learn a ton every baseball season.  Ranks are hard and everyone gets them wrong.  Me and Bunt Singles  are straight shooters though and we’ll tell you where we went wrong.  Accountability.  Let’s go.

First Base:

Kelder Fire!!!!!

Bryce Harper:  Preseason ranked 1, actual rank 2.  And if you figure Alec Bohm will regress, Harper is the clear to me 1 ranked guy for the rest of the season here.  I won’t argue if you have him 2 or 3, but good call here.

Overvalued:

Andrew Vaughn at 13 has not aged well.  I bought into the pedigree and the weird development curve the guy has had through his career, and forgot that he was on the White Sox where baseball talent goes to wither upon the vine.  Not only has he not sniffed the top 20, you could multiply 20 by 2 and still not find Vaughn until spot 43.  I’m not saying he’s never going to do it, but I’m out on Vaughn completely for a long long time.

Undervalued:  Fire Kelder!

This is what I wrote about Josh Naylor while ranking him 18th:

“Problem is, see, with guys like Naylor, his team doesn’t think he can hit lefties even though the stats say differently (.299 average).”

Good process, here.  I should have looked at the Guardians’ roster, seen the lack of power in it, seen the need for Naylor, seen the production, and ranked him much higher. I’m glad to see him maintaining his production with full time work.  Now he is slowing down, well he has slowed, but I’m thinking it’s a cold streak and a hot streak is just around the corner.

G	PA	AB	H	R	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BB%	K%	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	BABIP	$
Last 7 Days	6	27	21	2	3	1	4	1	0	4	5	14.8	18.5	0.095	0.269	0.238	0.507	0.063	7.4
Last 30 Days	27	113	98	20	14	8	21	3	0	12	18	10.6	15.9	0.204	0.304	0.490	0.793	0.164

I mean, if you never buy into a breakout, you miss every single one and that’s just not as fun.

Third Base:

Undervalued:

Elly De La Cruz and Gunnar Henderson

This is where my “missing breakouts because of fear of failure” comes in.  No, I don’t really have a fear of failure.  I fail so often, it’s second nature to me.  My mom has called me a “true slacker” and “epic fail of a son,” so it’s just a way of life.

Here’s a couple words of wisdom from my initial ranks (which I’m updating in 2 weeks, by the way)

“The swing and miss was real but could be fixed.  If it is, we have a perennial first rounder on our hands.  If not, he could actually be sent to the minors.  I’m just going to see how this season goes, but let someone else get him.”

Ten points if you guessed that’s Elly De La Cruz!  A certain Yahoo columnist in my TGFBI took him in the second and is winning my league.  And Gunnar Henderson, I wrote something similar:

“I like the guy in dynasty especially, but the risk to me takes him out of consideration where he’s being drafted.”

Duh.  If a guy is good in dynasty he’s probably good.  Crack analysis, here.  If you drafted these two guys, you have the 1-2 ranked 3b in the game.  Let’s look at just HOW AWESOME AND FUN THESE NEW GUYS ARE:

Here’s Elly

	G	PA	AB	H	R	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BB%	K%	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	BABIP	$
Season	47	193	168	43	35	9	22	30	5	22	63	11.4	32.6	0.256	0.352	0.476	0.828	0.354	49.9
ROS Proj	102	429	383	93	59	17	53	37	10	38	131	8.9	30.6	0.243	0.315	0.451	0.766	0.320	33.2

The batting average has only been .232 the past month, but you’re not arguing with 30 steals with 9 HR. Clear number one at both 3B and SS

Gunnar on the other hand has everything you could look for in a baseball player.  Youth, upside, and performance are all great.  Team context is as good as you can ask for.  Second half player last year as well.  I’m not including the projections because I like mine:   275 with 100+ R and RBI and 35 HR.  He’s the breakout I’m chasing, even more than Elly.

Undervalued:

Alec Bohm

“Okay, fine, he’s a good average play with minimal power and around 80 R and RBI.  He’s not a bad option if you wait on the corners, and qualifies for first base too.” That’s me quoting me as I ranked Bohm 17th at the position.  But what if this is real?  What if his elite pedigree is finally manifesting into X Man 97 form?  At this point, he has to be top 5 rest of season.  The HR have slowed (2 in the past 30 days) but his hitting has not.  Bohm is a pure hitter with a great contact rate (92 percentile in K rate) and the longer he keeps performing the higher in the ranks he shall go.

 

Some Quick Hitters as we go:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., broski is hitting .333 with a .405 OBP the past 30 days.  The power is coming.  Hold.  Hold.  HOLD!!!

Matt Olson seems like this is one of his low batting average years.  Last year was really high for him;  he’s like a .250 hitter talent guy, but sometimes they slip to .230.  The vibes are weird in Atlanta right now too.  If someone likes him, I’d deal him.  Not for the soft shell tortilla we fed our stray cat named Jose, but I’d look to see what I can get.  I’m thinking .240 with 30 HR more than .290 with 50.

Maikel Garcia might be sneaking up on people hitting over .300 the past month.  He’s more valuable than I originally thought if this sticks.  I’d get him ASAP, last I checked he was around 84% owned. Maybe, just maybe, this is your lucky day.

Ryan McMahon might be breaking out and is worth a pickup to see if it (finally) sticks (probably not but he’s hot right now).  .306 with 7 HR on the season for the sneaky spunky Rockies.

I talked about Matt Chapman‘s bat speed last week, and I guess he’s not totally washed.  He’s just super streaky.  Well, in the past week he’s hitting .529.  This guy can carry you for a month;  get him.

Michael Busch has a 40% K rate in the past 5 weeks.  Probably a drop if you can find a streamer.  Cubs lineup is surprisingly bad also and I apologize for hyping his random 5 HR streak up.

Anthony Rizzo has 6 HR in the past month and is past his slow start.  I’m in as a part of a great lineup, he’ll keep producing.  I’d buy high.

Don’t sweat Cody Bellinger‘s low ranking since he’s returned from running into a brick wall.  His counting stats, the R and RBI, are terrible because his lineup hasn’t been hitting.  He’s a fine player and I’d see if I find a frustrated owner.  Cubs aren’t stealing bases, though, so kinda a bummer there, but Cody is no toadie.

 

There, I wasn’t happy with my last article.  Hope I made it up to you this time!  Thanks for reading, have good days.