Time to play hot or not. Well… mostly we’ll just be playing who’s hot and who’s hotter. It’s more fun anyways. I’ve always been a fan of looking at the past couple weeks when deciding who to add to my team. It’s still a small sample size but it shows a bit of consistency. Everyone would love to grab a league winner of the wavier wire but sometimes all you need is a guy who can give you a quick boost. Fantasy baseball is a grind so just take it one week at a time. And bury your opponent in an avalanche of points.
Michael Harris II – It’s only been 17 games but he is swinging a hot bat right now, particularly over the past week. He doesn’t profile as a big power guy although he does have a pair of bombs. What you’ll really love about him is his doubles speed. He only has 63 at bats in the majors this season but he’s batting .317 with 6 doubles. What’s the downside? Well in the aforementioned 63 at bats he has gone down on strikes in 14 of them. Unfortunately, striking out was something he liked to do in the minors as well. Ok, I don’t think he liked to do it but he did it about 20% of the time. That could hold him back this season but he’s worth a stash if you’re playing in a keeper league. He carries a top prospect pedigree and finds himself in the majors at only 21 years old. The future is bright.
Brendan Donovan – Oh boy does he have some juicy stats for a wavier guy. Like Harris, he’s not much of a power hitter. Unlike Harris, he doesn’t strike out and has no problem taking a free pass. For the season he has walked 21 times while only striking out 20 times. He’s also batting .328 with 12 doubles. That’s a recipe for points league success. The Cards have bounced him around in the order but it’s encouraging that they seem comfortable with him in a prime spot. Right now he is not widely rostered (14% on ESPN and 34% on CBS) but that should change in the very near future. There’s plenty of room on your roster for a guy who is eligible at third, second, and outfield. That positional flexibility should allow his bat to stay in the lineup consistently.
Christian Bethancourt – Playing time was an issue for him earlier in the season but right now he’s so locked in that the A’s have no choice but to get his bat in the lineup. He’s catcher eligible but spends more of his time at first base which basically makes him a no-brainer to add. His xStats indicate that he can be even better than he’s been and that’s incredibly exciting. If you’re in need of a catcher, you could certainly do a whole lot worse.
Matt Carpenter – Apparently he just needed a sweet ‘stache to blast off. Seems like all he does is hit bombs now at 6 in only 28 at bats. That’s mind-blowingly awesome. Unfortunately, that has not resulted in an everyday role or even regular appearances in the lineup. This kind of offensive explosion should change that, but the Yankees are pretty loaded in the infield. I wouldn’t run to grab him just yet outside of deep leagues but I will definitely be watching to see how things shake out.
Bryson Stott – Oof, those season numbers are gross but he is finally showing signs of life to the tune of a .304 average and 2 big flies over the past week. With Jean Segura on the injured list, he has a clear path to regular playing time. Maybe June is his favorite month or he just doesn’t like Spring. Whatever the reason, there’s definitely some strong appeal at middle infield.
Danny Mendick – He’s had a good run but will likely see his everyday role fall off when Tim Anderson returns from his groin injury. That could happen as soon as Monday giving Mendick a few more games to show off. His performance may have been strong enough to earn an increased role even when Anderson is healthy and he does have some experience at positions other than shortstop. You can still scoop Mendick up for the rest of the week if your league allows it and then wait to see if he has earned a spot or gets sent back down to the minors.
Bryan Reynolds – He’s not a wavier target unless a very impatient league mate of yours kicked him to the curb but he is finally starting to turn things around. He was a preseason target of mine but there’s no denying that he has not produced like I expected him to this season. June has been a much better month for him at the plate and he’s finally looking like the guy I told you to draft. He only has 1 double but he’s rocking a .388 average with 3 home runs since the calendar flipped from May. There could be a slight buying window if the team that drafted him is still jaded by the icy start and wants out.
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