Points Leagues: August Infield Rankings

As we get into August, how I approach these rankings is going to change slightly. They still aren’t going to be a straight Power Ranking of who has been good recently, as that isn’t particularly predictive going forward. However, while patience with some players could still be rewarded the way they have recently with the likes of Trea Turner and Manny Machado, it’s also wearing thin for some. As such, there will be a few names below who are lower than they have been up to this point this season. At the same time, there will be some players ranked higher than they might be if the season were starting today, but who may be worth riding as you chase points down the stretch. Sort of like Enhanced Hot Schmotatoes, if you will.

Also, the trade deadline comes just hours after this article goes live. If anyone gets traded and their new situation significantly impacts their prospects going forward, I’ll do my best to mention it in the comment section. (Please don’t trade Hunter Goodman, Colorado.)

Catcher

• If you think Rice still deserves to be at the top of this list, I won’t argue. The top three guys here sit in a tier above the rest for me, and the particular order they go in doesn’t really matter.
• You might think this aggressive for Moreno. Maybe it is. Yet he’s been in the top-10 at the position for the season as a whole despite having played fewer games than everyone above him. Over the last month, playing full-time, he has been second at the position. He doesn’t have the power you want in roto, but in this format his plate discipline and low K-rate make him a valuable contributor.
• Cal and Ivan are two victims of the “I need you guys to actually do something” factor. Cal has been completely lost at the plate all season. For the season as a whole, Herrera is someone who has been a boon to your lineup, but that production came almost entirely since the beginning of June. Since June 1, he has only hit .217 with 5 HR and only 17 BB vs 41 K. His overall hitting metrics also continue to fall off, giving less reason to maintain the faith. As I type this, it sort of makes me think he should be a spot or two lower than I have him.
• Salvy spent the first three months of the season looking completely cooked. Since the start of July, though, he’s looked more like his old self. Not nearly as good as at his absolute peak, of course, but enough to where he’s been a top-5 player at the position over the last month. Good for him!

First Base

• At the time of submission, Kurtz is still scheduled to see a hand specialist after a HBP a couple days ago. So by the time you read this, it’s possible he’s been ruled out for the rest of the season. In my optimism that he’ll come out of that appointment with good news, he places here. Let a man have hope!
• Did you know that Sal Stewart is tied for the league lead in RBI? Not just in the NL, but in all of baseball. He’s had some cold spells over the course of the season, but he’s been good. I wish I’d drafted more of him.
• This might look like I don’t like Luis Garcia, but I do! However, a couple things work against him when it comes to these rankings. First of all, first base is just super deep. More significantly, he just doesn’t play every day. In Washington this season, he basically never played against lefthanded pitchers. That’s not going to change now that he’s going to New York, where Paul Goldschmidt stands as their designated lefty masher. So even with as good as he’s been this season, there’s a cap on how high he can go.

Second Base

• Nico struggled mightily in May and June. But since the start of July he’s gotten back on track, hitting .307 with 2 HR and 5 SB.
• Otto is one of those guys whose name has been coming up in trade rumors. His season-long numbers are still phenomenal, but be aware that regression has come recently. Since going 2-4 with a HR on July 6, he has only hit .213. For someone whose primary attribute is putting the bat on the ball, that’s not very good. Do I think he’s going to hit below .225 the rest of the way? No. But don’t expect him to hit above .330, either. Think of him as a serviceable starter, not a high-end one.

Third Base

• Ramirez has struggled since returning from the IL, for sure. Is there a chance he just not right the rest of the season? Yes, I suppose. But I’m still trusting that he gets back to being Jose Ramirez sooner than later.
• I’m as surprised as you probably are to see Bregman ranked this highly. His debut season in Chicago has not gone as well as anyone, not least of all the Cubs, hoped for after he signed this offseason. Yet, over the last month, he’s been a lot better, to the tune of being the 2nd highest-scoring player at the position over the last month. I don’t expect him to remain at that level the rest of the way, obviously, but he does look like a quality option for the home stretch.

Shortstop

• I mentioned above that Sal Stewart is tied for the major league lead in RBI coming into Monday. Did you know that the person he’s tied with is CJ Abrams? In prior seasons Abrams has started strong but fallen off steeply in the second half of the season. So far that has not been the case, as he just continues to rake. He’s really, really good.
• It took Lindor and Turner a while to get going this season, be it due to injury or plain ol’ slumping. They’re playing like what you expect them to play like now, though.
• For the season as a whole, Henderson has only been the 13th best SS by CBS’ scoring system, and 15th by ESPN’s. And it’s been significantly worse than that over the last month. I wish I could explain what’s happened to him, but I can’t.
• I don’t know if I’m too high on Pratt, too low on Pratt, or just right on Pratt. What I do know is that he’s been phenomenal since getting the call up to Milwaukee and I wanted to give him some props here. He’s also still available in a significant number of leagues. Somehow he’s only rostered on 7% of ESPN leagues. Seriously? Are there that many completely dead leagues over there? That’s crazy! Go fix that!