This is certainly a transition year in the corner infield position. Stalwarts like Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, and Paul Goldschmidt can’t be counted on for much longer. Christian Walker might be cooked.
But from the ashes, new blood emerges. Well, it kinda has to, every team needs someone at the positions. It is after all the rules.
One personal fantasy axiom I subscribe to is not to draft guys over 33. So no more Freeman. Jose Ramirez is almost off my list. Manny Machado is getting close, as is Bryce Harper.
Those are my guys, and they’re getting up there. So it’s time to pick My Guys, the Next Generation. Here they are:
Nick Kurtz, Oakland: I can’t get enough of this guy. What he’s doing less than a year from his draft date is remarkable. A .253 AVG with an .833 OPS plays already in any league. But wait. There’s more! The past two weeks, the OPS has cleared 1.000, and he’s on a massive power binge with 5 of his 12 HR in that time frame.
Beast.
Only his 32% K rate gives me any pause here due to the batting average risk, but for this year, he’ll go for over 30 dingers, and he doesn’t even have a year of pro experience. This is not Andrew Vaughn, folks. He was rushed in his early call-up. Kurtz is ready. This is what a floor, long-term, of Pete Alonso looks like. He’s my guy for the foreseeable future.
Cam Smith, Houston: Hooo boy, the Cubs had better extend Kyle Tucker. If they don’t, the Wrigley faithful will look south to Houston and see what this guy is doing and rue the trade. Cam Smith is another 2024 draftee who is making good, especially the last month (.303, 4 HR, .848 OPS) and has an OPS over 1.100 the past two weeks.
His HR are bombs, and his bat speed is elite. He’s another future star that I’ll be targeting for years to come. Just keep in mind that he’s probably not going to be 3B eligible next season. But I love him so much and he’s definitely worth the add this season.
Junior Caminero: 21 HR already. I watched Junior play in AAA Durham and have a strong affinity for the hardest swinger in the American League. This is my guy for the face of 3B in baseball going forward. He’ll be a fixture in the first two rounds, maybe as soon as next year.
Michael Busch, Chicago: The Cubs have figured out that Busch cannot hit lefties, so they simply refuse to start him against them. This is not unwarranted; he’s hitting .105 against them in 43 plate appearances.
This is what I call the Brandon Belt plan. Remember him? In 2021, when the Giants won 734 games or something, Belt had a 1.008 OPS with 80% of his at bats against the strong side of the platoon. He wasn’t BAD against left handed guys, just not as good.
This is Michael Busch. The guy is destroying the ball in the hand selected games he’s playing. He doesn’t have elite bat speed, but there is something in that swing path that leads to solid contact, like, all the time. He’s in the top ten percent in sweet spot and 86 in barrels.
The Cubs have liberally subbed him in for the corpse of Justin Turner and have been letting him get developmental at bats in games that aren’t close, so the platoon isn’t quite as annoying. Given the state of first base, Busch is a solid bet when he’s in the lineup.
It’s okay, everyone. The positions are in good hands. Just need to get these guys above, and I promise you’re going to be just fine.
Shallow ten team 5×5 h2h, would you drop a slumping Heliot Ramos for Cam Smith?
Time to jump on Steer?