One If By Land, Two If By Seager

Quietly, Corey Seager (2-for-3, 4 RBIs, 27th and 28th homer) has stayed healthy all year. ‘Quietly’ because I think if you would’ve told anyone that he’d play in 95% of his team’s games he’d be a top 20 guy, easily. Before yesterday, he had thirty more at-bats than Zach Neto and exactly the same amount of value on the Player Rater. He will move up after last night, so you don’t have to factcheck me. ACKSUALLY, never factcheck me. I’m factcheckproof! You come at me with “You liked Seager this preseason” and I’ll say, he’s been decent, not a bust at all. You come at me with “You were down on Seager” and I’ll say, yes, he was drafted in the top 25, and he’s not worth that. See, I fence facts. I hedge facts. A great duel of me vs. facts and I will Aaron Burr the facts. How’s dem facts? Sweet! Was thinking yesterday when people started making the case Ohtani isn’t the NL MVP frontrunner, how you can use stats to win any baseball argument. Don’t like HRs and SBs? Point to WAR for defense. That doesn’t do the argument justice? Point to his last month’s stats. There’s a fact for any argument. Any hoo! Corey Seager is a solid 30/.270 hitter, the problem is no steals, so his fantasy value is very attached to his runs and RBIs. That’s just the facts. Or is it? Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Jacob deGrom – Plan is for him to make four scheduled rehab starts before being activated. Oh, Rangers and your giant-headed manager with your tiny baby brains. He’s never going to make it through four rehab starts.

Alex Cobb – Hit the IL with a fractured nail. Maybe when he returns he can exclaim, “Man, I, cure!”

Kyle Harrison – 6 IP, 1 ER, 7 baserunners, 5 Ks, ERA at 4.00. If you’re not streaming everyone you can vs. the White Sox, you’re not trying hard enough.

Freddie Freeman – 0-for-4. Has a hairline fracture of his middle finger. A career ender for a truck driver, but Freeman is opting to play through it. I imagine he’ll be fine, maybe less power.

Max Muncy – 1-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 10th homer as he was activated from the IL. He said he couldn’t say where he’s been all season only that he now “believes in extraterrestrials.”

Gavin Lux – 1-for-3 and his 9th homer, 2nd homer in four games, hitting near-.400 in the last month. When I lost Rengifo, I turned to Lux, and he’s been solid for everything but steals. Yes, I need steals, but that’s not his fault.

Gavin Stone – 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 10 Ks, ERA at 3.44. It’s kinda indicative of our time that Stone had his career-high in Ks last night. I know, it’s not like he’s a ten-year vet, but still it was ten strikeouts. He was supposed to be an ace when he was first promoted. It’s fine. Hopefully he has a long career in front of him, but he’s never had double-digit Ks before. That feels significant.

Tommy Edman – 1-for-3 and his 1st steal, as he was activated. He said he was “chasing ET’s with Muncy.” Not sure what he means. Lots of questions about Edman yesterday. He will hit 9th and has some speed, maybe 2/6/.250 in the final six weeks. It’s fine, I think there’s prolly better guys available in most mixed leagues.

Bryan Woo – 6 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 baserunners, 5 Ks, ERA at 2.12. Had allowed one hit through six and a third and then Lux stomped Woo. Boo.

Connor Norby – 1-for-4, 1 run, 1 RBI as he was recalled. Hmm, so I didn’t agree with sending him down, because he was clearly ready, and they seemed to be doing it just to manipulate his service time, but if you’re going to do that, why call him up now and not wait two weeks? So, he has power and speed, but might hit under .200. The 29.2% K% in the minors with the Marlins is concerning. Could see grabbing him in deeper mixed leagues, but he might be an average risk.

Ketel Marte – Hit the IL with a sprained ankle. If you were relying on Ketel, it’s time to start drinking exactly that.

Adrian Del Castillo – 2-for-4, 6 RBIs and a grand slam (3) and legs (1) in nine games. It’s as easy as ADC, 1, 2, 3, you and me now! The great thing is ADC hits like a 3rd baseman (24 HRs, .319 in 100 games in AAA). The amazing thing is he has catcher eligibility. The less favorable news is if Moreno ever returns, he’s an actual catcher and Del Castillo catches like he’s a 3rd baseman.

Joc Pederson – 1-for-3, 2 runs and his 20th homer. Joc is having a season that is so valuable in 15-team mixed leagues and deeper that you set and forget like Ron Popeil, but a very difficult season to roster in 12-team mixed leagues if it’s weekly and you see him platooned out twice a week.

Brandon Pfaadt – 5 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 11 baserunners, 4 Ks, ERA at 4.08. Is it me (it’s not me) or are the Marlins harder to stream against than they’d seem to be?

Kevin Gausman – 5 IP, 3 ER, 7 baserunners, 5 Ks, ERA at 4.24. I’m old enough to remember Verlander becoming a seemingly 4th fantasy starter in his early 30’s, then getting back to greatness, because I’m not under 12 years old, but Gausman needs to do that. This [motions to Gausman’s entire statline] has become a number four. This is not an off year. He needs to learn how to pitch differently.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1-for-3 and his 26th homer. Cake Batter is the polar opposite of Gausman. He’s actually rediscovered what made him special. Lucky, because there’s like six Vlad Jr.’s behind him ready to take his place. “My baby batter don’t sleep.” That’s Vlad Sr.

Ernie Clement – 1-for-3 and his 8th homer, 2nd homer in a week, but I picked him up two weeks ago because he has an under 8% strikeout rate. He could hit .300 with some speed and power in the season’s final burp.

TJ Friedl – 3-for-4, 2 runs and his 10th homer. I was so out on this guy about three weeks ago, and, not to get all Mr. Prorater on ya, he’s on a 30/20 pace.

Paul DeJong – 2-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 21st homer, hitting .237. Colonel Mustard in the tape deck with a Kool Moe Dee cassette!

Seth Lugo – 7 IP, 2 ER, 7 baserunners, 8 Ks, ERA at 3.02. Nothing quite like getting a terrible lineup to put you back on track.  Angels’ lineup had Niko Kavadas as their cleanup hitter. Now you have to ask yourself, “Is Grey making up that name? Is that, like, his shampoo’s name and he’s doing a goof on me? Damn it, he does have nice hair. Ugh! I have no idea!” Here’s a hint: Kavadas did not go to the plate wrapped in grape leaves. “Ugh! What kind of hint is that? Is he a Greek dessert and soaked in honey? I hate Grey!”

Zach Neto – 1-for-4 and his 18th homer, hitting .261. He was moved up to 2nd in the order when Rengifo went down to injury. Ron Washington will absolutely claim he taught Neto how to handle hitting high in the order, like it’s his doing.

Zebby Matthews – 5 IP, 2 ER, 6 baserunners, 1 K, ERA at 3.60. Welp, I picked him up for the two-start week, and this was the tougher of the two matchups, so, yeah, I’m trying to be optimistic! Shoot me!

Masataka Yoshida – 1-for-2 and his 9th homer, as he pinch-hit for Wong who was DH’ing. Yoshida is hitting near-.400 in the last month; Wong is a catcher. Oh…[walks the entire Appalachian Trail]…kay.

Jarren Duran – 1-for-4 and his 16th homer, hitting .287. There might not be a “too early” for where I’m drafting him next year.

Luis Garcia – Won’t return this year. No, not that Luis Garcia. No, not that one either. No, not him either! No! No! No! Yes, that Astros one.

Yusei Kikuchi – 5 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 7 baserunners, 7 Ks, ERA at 4.37. Funny how everyone just assumes the Astros made Kikuchi better “naturally.”

Yainer Diaz – 2-for-5, 2 runs and his 14th homer, and 7th homer in the last month, as he hits third. BDon pointed out to me on the podcast this week that Diaz is your best catcher for the last month.

JJ Bleday – 1-for-3, 2 RBIs and his 16th homer, and was a hot schmotato last week, and I’m saying it was more like JJ Bleweek.

Joe Boyle – 6 IP, 0 ER, 5 baserunners, 6 Ks, ERA at 6.21. My FAAB bids this Sunday were Zebby then Boyle. Why couldn’t people outbid me for Zebby?

Pete Fairbanks – Hit the IL with a lat strain. Taking over him as the Rays’ closer is [names everyone in their pen], but I like [whoever gets the first post-Fairbanks save]. If you have to grab someone, I’d guess Edwin Uceta, Garrett Cleavinger or Manuel Rodriguez, that order, but Uceta was pitching in the 4th inning a few weeks ago, so I really have no idea who’s getting saves.

Taj Bradley – 6 IP, 3 ER, 8 baserunners, 2 Ks, ERA at 3.55. Two strikeouts in six innings isn’t back.

Trevor Rogers – 4 2/3 IP, 3 ER, ERA at 4.92. Rogers should apologize to the Marlins and be like, “I withdraw what I said after I was traded. The O’s coaching is as bad as the Marlins’.”

Seranthony Dominguez – 1/3 IP, 1 ER, ERA at 4.24. I didn’t hear what Brandon Hyde said after the game, but I’d like to think he said something like, “Dominguez is still our guy, this was just a good hitter getting into a good pitch.” Because I would laugh at that man’s naiveté. Howl, even. Yes, Seranthony is very safe. Never given up a game before!

David Peterson – 7 IP, 2 ER, 7 baserunners, 8 Ks, ERA at 3.00. I told you he was a sleeper! [tomato thrown just misses my head] Okay, it was for 2023, but c’mon! [more tomatoes are thrown as I run out of the room] For what it’s Wuertz, Streamonator hates his next one, and I don’t fully trust it either.

J.D. Martinez – 1-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 13th homer. Who will hit less than ten homers next season, Arenado or Just Dong?

Tarik Skubal – Sounds like this past Sunday’s start could be his last start on regular rest to limit his IP. Don’t need to let the dogs loose to hear a woof after that. I love baseball, obviously, and I’d take 365 games a season, but it might be time to shorten the season to 140 games. Not just due to Skubal, but September is going to be such a mess of 4 IP starts and other pitchers being shut down.

Austin Riley – Out for the year with a fractured hand. Ever hear of Hiroo Onoda? He was a Japanese soldier in WWII who hid in the Philippines for 29 years never hearing the war ended. He surrendered in 1974, only to find out the war ended in 1945. Well, instead of surrendering, if he were have been killed in 1974, thinking the war was still going on, that’s the kind of luck the Braves have had this year. They’re supposedly going with Luke Williams at 3rd base, but the Braves should consider hiding in the Philippines until 2025.