It’s the second week of baseball season, which symbols the annual potential for snow baseball, interleague play, and pulled latissimus dorsi! The MLB continues to amaze everyone by scheduling our utmost northern cities for home games during the first week of April. How is Boston the only club traveling on a west coast or southern swing? It must be attributed to Dave Dombrowski attending the Ivy League of the Midwest, Western Michigan. At least the baseball brass can breathe easy now that the AAF is canceled and all those viewers will come back to watching baseball, unless you live in Los Angeles and all your games are blacked out. Baseball is back friends!
If you’re looking for news on sluggers that hit for power and reach base more than your average Zunino, I’m here for you. There will be no talk of closer reports or guys that just steal bags and weigh 160 lbs wet wearing boots. (Exceptions will be made for Aldaberto Mondesí because he has a higher OPS than Freddie Freeman!) “But my early round SP has low velo?!” It’s two starts they’ll figure it out! Unless their names are Chris, Corey, and Carlos…We have plenty of other fantastic writers that can assist you in those categories. Roto or H2H I’ll keep you posted, we’re going full Max Power.
Everyone knows Cody Bellinger is blistering hot with a 1.412 OPS and 5 bombs. Upstate, Matt Chapman in Oakland looks like he might have been completely undervalued as a consensus 8th or 9th round pick. He’s slashing .345/.457/.724, if anyone is selling high on these two I’m buying. Bellinger’s Dodgers teammate, Kiké Hernández, has a 1.158 OPS and just hit his 3rd HR of the season. Kiké won the starting 2B job from an underperforming Chris Taylor and is not looking back. This Dodgers lineup is loaded.
An Under the Greydar guy that I love is Wil Myers, he’s batting .421 with a 1.265 OPS and even 2 SB if that’s your fancy. He can still be had in a trade for a decent price. Yoan Moncada is another fav, the former #1 prospect in baseball could return excellent value, he’s hit safely in 5 straight games hitting .412 with a 1.150 OPS. He could be this year’s Ozzie Albies. I’m including Joey Gallo in this space as his plate discipline is much improved and he has 6 BB in 6 games, he’s only knocked 1 HR but if he can keep his K% down he will be in for a great year. The power is coming.
Adds:
Maikel Franco, 3B, Phillies – He’s slashing a ridiculous .545/.706/1.364. Has always possessed massive power potential, is locked in right now pick him up
Trey Mancini, 1B/OF, Orioles – You’ve owned him before so you know what he is. Has a new approach, age 27 season. Has hit safely in 6 games with 3 HR and a 1.229 OPS.
Christian Walker, 1B, Diamondbacks – Walker has 3 HR with a 1.700 OPS, with Jake Lamb hurt again he has the potential for 25-30 HR with a decent average.
Drops:
Ian Desmond, 1B/OF, Rockies – he hit .236 last year and is off to a 2/19 start. Hold if you’re desperate for SB but you can find his numbers elsewhere
Chris Taylor, 2B/SS, Dodgers – This one hurts as I love the Dodgers lineup and he has multi-position eligibility. The Dodgers scored 18 runs in a game last week, he was the only starter to not record a hit and left 6 men on base. I’ll drop and keep him on my watch list.
Values:
All of the hitters below are platooning, but if an injury were to occur, they have the potential to contribute in all power categories, and would be surrounded by great lineups.
Austin Barnes, C/2B, Dodgers
Willians Astudillo, C/3B, Twins
Alex Verdugo, OF, Dodgers
Sell:
Jay Bruce, 1B/OF, Mariners – you must be new here
