Winking is the oddest of human expressions. Physically, it looks like a fusion of pain and happiness. You’re smiling, yet utterly frustrated because you can’t complete the process of connecting one eye to the mouth on the same side, which is what the purpose of a wink feels like. I know there are examples of winks where a person just closes one eye without the movement of the mouth, but that’s just a one-eyed blink. Cognitively, winks are intentional. One cannot be tricked or scared into winking. It is not a biological response mechanism. They have a purpose, yet are difficult to deduce because of the ambiguity. You know what’s not vague? Jesse Winker (34.1% owned – increase of 17.5%) is good at baseball. 13.8% strikeout rate and 15.1% walk rate! .294/.404/.429 slash with 7 home runs. Hard hit rate of 45.1% and 5.7% swinging strike rate! Now, the power isn’t spectacular (.135 ISO) and he does struggle a bit against LHP (.218 average), but he’s still only 24 years old, so the power may keep developing. What gives me the most optimism, though, is that he is not completely inept against lefties. The strikeout rate is higher than against righties, but it’s still only 18.8%, but the walk rate is a robust 17.4%, 3% higher than against righties. The approach seems solid and the BABIP is only .250 against lefties. It’s only a matter of time. TREASURE
Jake Bauers (23.6% owned – increase of 11.2%) gets me so pumped up that I want to drive around Los Angeles to look for CTU headquarters. Since getting called up on June 7th, Bauers has a .252/.368/.496 slash with 5 home runs and 2 stolen bases. The strikeout rate is 21.3%, while the walk rate is 14.8%. With a 9.6% swinging strike rate, those are nice numbers for a power hitter. And he’s only 22 years old! The ballpark he plays half his games at sucks for power and he is not as good against lefties. But….while the power is lower, the batting average is .250 against both-handed pitching. You’re probably not playing him at 1B, but he’s CI viable and does have OF eligibility. In addition, he’s been entrenched as the number three hitter in the lineup. TREASURE
Sergio Romo (39.3% owned – increase of 9.5%) has been good in whatever role he’s been asked to fill, as he’s started 5 games and accumulated 11 saves. There’s a good chance Romo does get traded, though, as he’s on a one-year deal and the Rays aren’t going anywhere. If that happens, he’s going to be no more than a specialist against righties: 30% strikeout rate and 3.52 xFIP. Against lefties? 16.4% strikeout rate and 5.02 xFIP. TRASH
A-well, a bird, bird, bird, well-a bird is the word. Greg Bird (33.1% owned – increase of 9.5%) has hit 2 doubles, 3 home runs, and driven in 13 since the start of the month. A-well, a bird, bird, bird, well-a bird is the word. I used to be a Bird guy. Actually, I’m a Lakers fan, so I always hated Bird, but had much respect for him. As for Greg, I gave him a chance until he broke my hopes and dreams by succumbing to injury last season. So, as you can see, I’m in no way biased or anything. Bird has power (.243 ISO), plays half his games in Yankees Stadium, and walks 11% of the time. You’d think I’d be all over Bird. I hope PETA doesn’t miscontrue that last sentence. Anyways, outside of any negative bias toward Birds, Greg has a 28% strikeout rate and is awful against left-handed pitching: 30% strikeout rate and .138 average. TRASH
