It is a glorious day. Kyle Tucker (FAAB Bid: 30-40%) is here. The Houston Astros finally promoted their 21-year-old stud who is making AAA look like slight work. Tucker slashed .306/.371/.520 at a level for which he was still young. The best part about the profile is the gaudy fantasy numbers. This outfielder boasted 14 HR to go along with 14 SB, and this combination shines throughout his minor league statistics. Fantasy upside is through the roof with this free agent rookie. If available in your league, Tucker becomes a player requiring a significant percentage of your remaining FAAB. His ranking falls within the Top 10 on every notable prospect list, and there is no doubting the talent. Tucker can produce power and speed for the rest of the season at a higher rate than anyone on the wire, and also a lot of players currently on rosters.
Lou Trivino, RP, Oakland Athletics
(FAAB Bid: 2-5%)
Blake Treinen is in no way, shape, or form losing his job. The Athletics closer is pitching to a 0.84 ERA and has some of the dirtiest movement in the league. His nickname “The Witch” becomes crystal clear when viewing the many available 100 MPH sinker gifs. However, this does not mean Lou Trivino isn’t ownable. In fact, if the A’s decide to move Treinen at the deadline, Trivino would probably slot into the main closer role. The big righty has generated 42% whiffs on his cutter this season to go along with equally deadly curves and four-seamers. He has all the qualities you want in a fantasy closer including high SwStr%, high velocity, andlow WHIP. In the past few seasons, the Athletics staff has done a fantastic job turning some no-name relievers into interesting options. Trivino seems to be the next in line for this Oakland experience, and I’m onboard.
Jesse Winker, OF, Cincinnati Reds
(FAAB Bid: 5%)
Winker was a popular sleeper this offseason after displaying more power, in a small Major League sample, than anything shown in the MiLB. After a weak May, hype died down on the young outfielder. On the season, he has more walks than strikeouts and is still executing the power more than he did in the minors. There could be an ISO spike to come as Great American Ballpark is a fine home hitters location during the dog days of summer. The plate discipline has been off the charts, and it’s staggering to see these numbers for someone in their first full seasons in the bigs. Winker is also hitting the ball much harder this year at 41.5% per Baseball Savant to go along with the fact that he is hitting more fly balls and carrying a 26.5% Under%. The Under% indicates that he is attempting to lift the ball more than in the past which could result in some fireworks through the post-ASG stretch run.
Brad Miller, 2B/UTIL, Milwaukee Brewers
(FAAB Bid: 2-3%)
Miller is doing what he does best, mashing baseballs, but now he gets to do it in Miller Park. So far the Hard Hit% is out of this world even for him, hovering at 52% over on Baseball Savant. His Barrel% is also twice his career high and currently sits at 12.7%. I’ll take any guy who has hit 30 HR in a past season, and if that guy is hitting the ball even harder this year, you can bet I will pay a nice price for it on the wire. Miller’s fly ball% has risen as well, setting him up for a power surge at some point this season. Everything is in line for a significant run of fantasy aid. Playing multiple positions is another benefit that this utility man provides, and he has done the same this year by playing three infield positions in the first half. There is a clear upside for power despite the gaudy strikeout numbers which have always been within the profile. Take the risk on Miller and capitalize on the upcoming homers.
Tyler Mahle, SP, Cincinnati Reds
(FAAB Bid: 2-4%)
This former Reds prospect is making a name for himself in fantasy circles. He is a pretty average pitcher with only two really useful pitches, but both are generating more whiffs this year than in his small, impressive sample last season. Mahle is throwing his fastball in the strike zone more and also getting an elevated number of swing and misses inside the zone. The same goes for his slider, as he just seems to be gaining a feel for throwing only two pitches to major league hitters. It may be a matter of time before the book is out on the 23-year-old, but he could be a lot of help to teams in need of pitching right now. There is a lot of upside with this arm and it also might end up being a highly profitable add at this point in the season. Mahle may be a player that sticks on rosters for the rest of the season providing strikeouts and quality starts.
Lonely ONLY-League Targets
Willians Astudillo, C/UTIL, Minnesota Twins (Insane contact ability in the minors, catcher eligibility)
Jose Alvarado, RP, Tampa Bay Rays (Occasional save opportunities, one of the better holds guys, extreme K% upside)
Mark Canha, OF, Oakland Athletics (Power & average that won’t hurt you is hard to find on the wire)
Steve Pearce, OF/DH, Boston Red Sox (Hits the ball super hard, great barrel ability, hope he hits more HR)
Roberto Osuna, RP, Toronto Blue Jays (If available, it’s a good time to start stashing in deeper leagues)
