If you know me then you know I’m a sucker for guys with a Pop N Speed combo in H2H leagues. By having a lineup full of guys that can sprinkle in some HR and SB any given matchup, it maximizes your chances to compete for these categories week in week out. While 15 HR and 10 SB over the course of a year may not sound like a lot, having a bunch of guys that can hit those marks certainly adds up. Stolen bases are a tricky category to try to focus on so I like to have many guys that won’t necessarily get one every week, but have the ability to record one any given week. It may not sound like much but with speed down league wide, many weeks are decided by a single SB. Here are some guys that are pretty widely available in ESPN leagues that display the beloved power/pop combo.
Avisail Garcia – OF, Rays (22.4% owned in ESPN)
The Rays outfield has quietly been among the best in the entire MLB this season. Austin Meadows would be in the MVP conversation if not for his injury. Pham was on pace for another 20/20 season, who has now missed the past 4 games due to an injury of his own. Kiermaier has continued his excellent defense and has added 6 HR and 10 SB. And then we have Avisail Garcia, who has also had a strong showing thus far. Through 204 PA, Garcia is slashing .301/.363/.522 to go along with 10 home runs and 6 stolen bases. His 6 stolen bases are the most he’s ever recorded in a season at the MLB level aside from the 7 bags he swiped in 2015. Barring a disaster, he should easily surpass that in the coming weeks. The Rays like to be active on the base paths (6th most SB attempts per game) and should result in Garcia finishing the season with 10-15. His sprint speed ranks in the top 89th percentile in the league, so he should continue to see plenty of opportunities to swipe bags. That combined with the ~20 HR potential we’ve seen out of him makes him an intriguing power/pop guy that can help give you an edge in H2H matchups. He has been hitting the ball hard, and his xStats support his success at the dish thus far. Garcia is in the 94th percentile for xwOBA, 95th for xSLG, and 93rd for xBA. He is 25th in the MLB in Barrels/PA. While it is true xStats are not exactly predictive for the future, it is encouraging that he is among the best in the league when it comes to batted ball data so far this year.
Steamer ROS: .262/.320/.447 with 40 R, 13 HR, 45 RBI, and 5 SB in 334 PA
Ramon Laureano – OF, A’s (18.7% owned)
Well known for his superb defense and incredible arm, Laureano has been showing us he’s got some skill on the offensive side too. After flashing his power/speed profile last year by tallying 5 HR and 7 SB in just 176 PA, he has displayed a similar skill set this season. Through 230 PA, Laureano has recorded 7 HR and 4 SB on a .257/.300/.411 slash line. He has 19 extra base hits through his first 59 games played. While the A’s aren’t terribly active on the base paths, Laureano’s 80% stolen base rate and 88th percentile sprint speed should be enough to garner more opportunities going forward. In order to maximize his ability to swipe bags Laureano must improve upon his .300 OBP, namely his 4.8% walk rate. He is swinging 5% more than last year and about 3% more on pitches out of the zone, though he is actually striking out slightly less. He has found himself going down in the count 0-1 about 7.5% more than last year, which may be a reason he is walking less. Laureano has a reputation and minor league track record of having a good eye and being able to take walks, so his current walk rate may just be a result of him still adjusting to MLB pitching. He has been hitting the ball well when he makes contact, with an average exit velocity of 90.4 MPH and a hard hit rate of 41.4%. For now, he hits in the bottom third of the lineup which may suppress his counting stats but bodes well for stolen base opportunities.
Steamer ROS: .251/.315/.411 with 41 R, 10 HR, 40 RBI, 8 SB
Scott Kingery – OF/SS, Phillies (8% owned)
In the year of the post-hype sleeper, Kingery looks to be next in line to make some noise. Though he hit just .226 last year in 147 games, he did flash some power/pop to the tune of 8 HR and 10 stolen bases. He enjoyed a nice start to the year but unfortunately went down with an injury right as he was heating up. Though a small sample size, through 88 PA this year he is slashing .325/.364/.530 while adding 3 HR and 2 SB. His versatility helps ensure he is in the lineup, and recent reports say that he will be seeing lots of time starting in CF, especially against lefties. Kingery must seek to improve his plate discipline (3.4% BB rate, 26.1% K rate) to make the most of his opportunities though. A healthy 24.9% career line drive rate combined with more hard contact this year (46.7%) will be key to sustaining his offensive output. He has a full year of plate appearances at the MLB level, so hopefully he can figure out how to have more success against big league pitching this time around. If he does settle in at CF instead of jumping around positions it should help him focus on the offensive side of things more. Kingery hits in a dangerous lineup, so I don’t exactly expect guys to be pitching around him. He has been hitting 6th/7th for the most part the past couple weeks, so he should be able to be active on the base paths. Philly doesn’t run too much, but Kingery is in the top 95th percentile for sprint speed and is 12-for-15 in career SB attempts so should see a fair share of opportunities.
Steamer ROS: .247/.290/.384 with 33 R, 8 HR, 36 RBI, and 7 SB in 331 PA
